Preprint profiles conservation genetics of naturally small Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana island populations

A preprint posted to bioRxiv (10.64898/2026.09.13.751268v1) reports on the population genetics of the Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana, a large island lizard whose populations are naturally small and geographically fragmented — conditions that population genetics theory predicts should impose severe costs through inbreeding, genetic drift, and reduced adaptive potential.

The study characterises genetic signatures including reduced genetic diversity, expression of deleterious alleles, founder effects, and limited gene flow across island populations. Despite these factors, the populations have persisted across many generations, raising questions about what genetic or demographic mechanisms allow naturally small island populations to avoid the extinction vortex predicted by classical models. The authors use the iguana system to interrogate thresholds of genetic risk and the degree to which island biota may be adapted to conditions that would be devastating in recently fragmented continental populations.

The work is relevant to conservation genetics, island biogeography, and population genetics theory, and may inform conservation management strategies for other naturally small or island-restricted vertebrate populations. Genealogists and educators interested in founder effects and genetic drift in isolated populations may also find the conceptual framing accessible. As a preprint, these findings have not yet been peer-reviewed.