Microlophus

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Automatic taxobox

Microlophus is a genus of tropidurid lizards native to South America. Around 20 species are recognized and 10 of these are endemic to the Galápagos Islands,Template:Efn where they are commonly known as lava lizards<ref>Fitter, Julian; Fitter, Daniel; Hosking, David (2000). Wildlife of the Galalpagos. Updated Edition. Princeton University Press. p.94.</ref><ref name=Benavides>Benavides, Edgar; Baum, Rebecca; Snell, Heidi M.; Snell, Howard L.; Sites, Jack W., Jr. (2009). "Island Biogeography of Galápagos Lava Lizards (Tropiduridae: Microlophus): Species Diversity and Colonization of the Archipelago". Template:Webarchive (.pdf) Evolution 63 (6): 1606–1626.</ref> (they are sometimes placed in Tropidurus instead). The remaining, which often are called Pacific iguanas, are found in the Andes and along the Pacific coasts of Chile, Peru, and Ecuador.

The distribution of the lava lizards and their variations in shape, colour, and behaviour show the phenomenon of adaptive radiation so typical of the inhabitants of this archipelago. One species occurs on all the central and western islands, which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels, while one species each occurs on six other more peripheral islands. All have most likely evolved from a single ancestral species. However, as usual for the Tropiduridae, they can change their colour individually to some extent, and members of the same species occurring in different habitats also show colour differences. Thus, animals living mainly on dark lava are darker than ones that live in lighter, sandy environments.

Evolution

Galápagos adaptive radiation

The genus Microlophus colonized the Galápagos archipelago on two separate occasions, both during the Pleistocene. Most of the Galápagos endemic species radiated from the first colonization event known as the Western radiation. Two species, M. bivittatus and M. habelii, radiated from the second colonization event, and are sister to the continental species M. occipitalis.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Benavides" />

Historically, the species M. albemarlensis was considered to occur on Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Santa Cruz, and Santa Fe islands. The species was later realized to actually be a species complex, and more recently, the Santiago, Santa Cruz, and Santa Fe populations have been given species status as M. jacobii, M. indefatigabilis, and M. barringtonensis, respectively. This restricts the range of M. albemarlensis to the Isabela and Fernandina islands.<ref name="Benavides" />

Species

Listed alphabetically by specific name.<ref>Microlophus. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.</ref>


Species	Common name	Distribution
Microlophus albemarlensis Template:Small	Galápagos lava lizard, Isabela lava lizard	Galápagos (Isabela, Fernandina)
Microlophus arenarius Template:Small		Peru
Microlophus atacamensis Template:Small	Atacamen Pacific iguana	Chile
Microlophus barringtonensis Template:Small	Santa Fe lava lizard	Galápagos (Santa Fe)
Microlophus bivittatus Template:Small	San Cristóbal lava lizard	Galápagos (San Cristóbal)
Microlophus delanonis Template:Small	Española lava lizard, Hood lava lizard	Galápagos (Española)
Microlophus duncanensis Template:Small	Pinzón lava lizard	Galápagos (Pinzón)
Microlophus grayii Template:Small	Floreana lava lizard	Galápagos (Floreana)
Microlophus habelii Template:Small	Marchena lava lizard	Galápagos (Marchena)
Microlophus heterolepis Template:Small		Chile, Peru
Microlophus indefatigabilis Template:Small	Santa Cruz lava lizard	Galápagos (Santa Cruz)
Microlophus jacobii Template:Small	Santiago lava lizard	Galápagos (Santiago, Bartolomé, Rábida)
Microlophus koepckeorum Template:Small	Frost's iguana	Peru
Microlophus occipitalis Template:Small	knobbed Pacific iguana	Peru, Ecuador
Microlophus pacificus Template:Small	Pinta lava lizard, common Pacific iguana	Galápagos (Pinta)
Microlophus peruvianus Template:Small	Peru Pacific iguana	Ecuador, Peru, Chile
Microlophus quadrivittatus Template:Small	four-banded Pacific iguana	Peru, Chile
Microlophus slevini Torres-Carvajal, 2024	Slevin’s lava lizard	Galápagos (Gardner)<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Microlophus tarapacensis Template:Small	Tarapaca Pacific iguana	Chile
Microlophus theresiae Template:Small	Theresia's Pacific iguana	Peru
Microlophus theresioides Template:Small	corredor de pica (in Spanish)	Chile
Microlophus thoracicus Template:Small	Tschudi's Pacific iguana	Peru
Microlophus tigris Template:Small	tiger Pacific iguana	Peru
Microlophus yanezi Template:Small	Yanez's lava lizard	Chile