Gut microbiome of Galapagos marine iguanas reveals endemic Clostridia shaped by neutral dispersal and host selection
We analysed the gut microbiome of marine Galapagos iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of faecal samples collected on several islands. Community patterns were best explained by neutral dispersal, and members of the class Clostridia were consistently abundant across all sites. These data provide a baseline for understanding microbial communities in isolated hosts and can support future conservation work. Raw reads for every sample are deposited under this study.