Conolophus subcristatus
| Galapagos land iguana | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Iguanidae |
| Genus: | Conolophus |
| Species: | C. subcristatus |
| Binomial name | |
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Conolophus subcristatus (Gray, 1831) |
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The Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It is one of three species of the genus Conolophus. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador), in the dry lowlands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Baltra, and South Plaza.
The land iguanas in the Galápagos vary in morphology and coloration among different populations. In addition to the relatively widespread and well-known Galapagos land iguana (C. subcristatus), there are two other species of Conolophus: the pink land iguana (C. rosada) from northern Isabela Island and the Santa Fe land iguana (C. pallidus) from Santa Fe Island. Based on genetic evidence, the land iguanas and marine iguana diverged about 8–10 million years ago. Within the land iguana genus, the oldest split, about 5.7 million years old, is between C. subcristatus and C. rosada. The differentiation between the last two species, C. subcristatus and C. pallidus, is less clear and it has been questioned if they are separate species. Based on mtDNA and , they fall into three monophyletic groups: C. subcristatus of western islands (Isabela and Fernandina), C. subcristatus of central islands (Santa Cruz, Baltra and South Plaza) and C. pallidus. Although the exact pattern is uncertain, it is possible that C. pallidus is closer to one of the C. subcristatus groups, than the two C. subcristatus groups are to each other.
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