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An island in the Galápagos reintroduced iguanas after nearly 200 years of extinction.

A species of iguana that went extinct nearly 200 years ago on one of the Galápagos Islands appears to be making a comeback, with some help from a team of conservationists.

The last person to spot a Galápagos land iguana on Santiago Island in Ecuador was Charles Darwin in 1835. When an expedition team from California arrived in 1906, the iguanas were nowhere to be found.

And though this kind of iguana can still be found on the other Galápagos Islands, it's believed to have been extinct on Santiago for the past 187 years — until now.

As the primary herbivores on the Galápagos Islands, the land iguanas and tortoises spread seeds across the landscape and help model the plant communities. Their movement patterns also create open spaces used by other animals.

The ecosystems found on the Galápagos Islands are home to some of the most fascinating plants and animals in the world. The islands were made famous largely due to Darwin and his 1835 expedition, according to the Conservancy, which led to his theory of evolution by natural selection.

Source: www.npr.org

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