Pretty in pink

BBC: Pink iguana rewrites family tree

A spectacular pink type of Galapagos iguana promises to rewrite the family's evolutionary history in the islands.

Rosada was missed by Charles Darwin during his 1835 visit, but appears to indicate the earliest known divergence of land animals in the archipelago.

Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers say rosada split from other land iguanas about 5.7 million years ago.

A wonderful discovery, with publication timed nicely for the Darwin bicentenary celebrations. A new type of iguana is a remarkable find. Especially a pink one.

But why do so many news stories about this find say that Darwin 'missed' the pink igunanas? They are only found on a small volcano that he didn't even visit. If Darwin missed them, then so did the Archbishop of Canterbury and Abraham Lincoln.

Richard Carter, FCD

Writer and photographer Richard Carter, FCD is the founder of the Friends of Charles Darwin. He lives in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.WebsiteNewsletterMastodonetc…

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