The Galápagos land iguanas comprise the genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Conolophus of the Galápagos Islands

Galápagos Islands

The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...

. The name Conolophus is derived from two Greek words: conos (κώνος) meaning "spiny" and lophos (λοφος) meaning "crest" or "plume", denoting the spiny crests along the backs of these species. The number of species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of this variable genus has always been disputed; the most current taxonomic surveys suggest that three main lineages exist:

• Barrington Land Iguana
  Barrington Land Iguana
  The Barrington Land Iguana, or the Santa Fe Land Iguana, is a species of lizard in the Iguanidae family. It is one of three species of Conolophus.It is endemic to Santa Fe Island in the Galapagos.-Taxonomy:...
  
  , Conolophus pallidus
• Galápagos Land Iguana
  Galapagos Land Iguana
  The Galapagos Land Iguana is a species of lizard in the Iguanidae family. It is one of three species of the genus Conolophus...
  
  , Conolophus subcristatus
• Galápagos Pink Land Iguana, Conolophus marthae