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Course: AP??/College Environmental science?>?Unit 1
Lesson 5: Changes to ecosystemsChanges to ecosystems
Problem
Marine iguanas are found only on the Galápagos Islands, which are located off the coast of Ecuador. These lizards are unique in that they forage for food in the ocean.
Compared to land iguanas, marine iguanas have certain adaptations that allow them to survive in their coastal habitat. These adaptations include a long, flattened tail used for swimming and dense leg bones that give the iguanas stability underwater.
Scientists believe the land-dwelling ancestors of the marine iguana floated on vegetative debris from Central America to the Galápagos Islands about 4.5 million years ago.
Based on the information given above, which of the following is most likely true about the ancestry of the marine iguana?