| Lapitiguana Temporal range: Holocene
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Natunaornis and Lapitiguana | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Iguanidae |
| Genus: | †Lapitiguana |
| Species: | †L. impensa
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Lapitiguana impensa Pregill & Worthy, 2003
| |
The Fiji Giant Iguana (Lapitiguana impensa) was a large species (1.5 m long) of iguanid which was endemic to Fiji.12 It became extinct 3000 years ago, presumably as a result of the human colonisation of the islands.2
All extant Oceanian iguanas belong to the genus Brachylophus, which also includes a giant extinct species from Tonga. The closest living relatives of the South Pacific iguanas are found in America.34 Its name is derived from the neolithic Lapita culture.
References
References
- "Fiji Giant Iguana, Lapitiguana impensa (Species)". Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- Pregill, G. K.; Worthy, T. H. (March 2003). "A New Iguanid Lizard (Squamata, Iguanidae) from the Late Quaternary of Fiji, Southwest Pacific". Herpetologica. 59 (1). The Herpetologists' League: 57–67. doi:10.1655/0018-0831(2003)059[0057:ANILSI]2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
- Keogh, J. Scott; Edwards, Danielle L.; Fisher, Robert N.; Harlow, Peter S. (2008-10-27). "Molecular and morphological analysis of the critically endangered Fijian iguanas reveals cryptic diversity and a complex biogeographic history". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 363 (1508). Royal Society: 3413–3426. doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0120. PMC 2607380. PMID 18782726.
- Noonan, B.P.; Sites, J.W. Jr. (2009-11-24). "Tracing the origins of iguanid lizards and boine snakes of the Pacific". The American Naturalist. 175 (1). University of Chicago Press: 61–72. doi:10.1086/648607. PMID 19929634. S2CID 5882832.
External links
External links