Hispaniola is the second largest island in the Caribbean and harbors an extensive amount of biodiversity. The geologic history and resulting complex topography of the island has led to significant differentiation across various taxonomic groups. Hispaniola is the only Caribbean Island with two species of Rock Iguanas, genus Cyclura. Rhinoceros Rock Iguanas (C. cornuta) are wide-ranging across Hispaniola, occurring in isolated pockets, primarily in low elevation xeric areas. To better understand the population structure of this species, we used a combination of mtDNA and nuclear markers to elucidate the genetic variation of wild populations across 13 sampling regions in the Dominican Republic (DR), as well as neighboring Mona Island, home to a Cyclura population of uncertain taxonomic status. Further, we evaluate the origin of iguanas in captive facilities throughout the DR. Our data reveal a high degree of genetic diversity across wild populations within the DR and shed light on the taxonomic status of the Mona island population. Further, novel genetic diversity is found in captive facilities, most likely resulting from interbreeding between individuals from genetically distinct populations within the captive facilities. Our results suggest that the captive facilities may pose a threat to wild populations and increased regulation of these facilities is needed.

Hispaniola是加勒比地区的第二大岛，拥有大量生物多样性。岛上的地质历史和由此产生的复杂地形导致各种生物分类之间的显着差异。伊斯帕尼奥拉（Ispaniola）是唯一的加勒比岛，拥有两种岩石鬣蜥（Cyclura）属。犀牛岩鬣蜥（C. cornuta）分布在整个伊斯帕尼奥拉地区，发生在孤立的口袋中，主要发生在低海拔的干燥地区。为了更好地了解该物种的种群结构，我们结合使用了mtDNA和核标记，阐明了多米尼加共和国（DR）以及邻近的蒙娜岛（Cyclura所在地）的13个采样区域中野生种群的遗传变异。分类状态不确定的人群。此外，我们评估了整个DR圈养设施中鬣蜥的起源。我们的数据揭示了DR内野生种群之间高度的遗传多样性，并阐明了Mona岛种群的生物分类状况。此外，在圈养设施中发现了新的遗传多样性，这很可能是由于圈养设施中具有不同遗传种群的个体之间的杂交所致。我们的结果表明，圈养设施可能对野生种群构成威胁，需要加强对这些设施的监管。