Komodo dragon collision between Australia and Southeast Asia allowed these larger varanids to move back into what is now the Indonesian archipelago, extending their range as far east as the island of Timor. The Komodo dragon was believed to have differentiated from its Australian ancestors 4 million years ago. However, recent fossil evidence from Queensland suggests the Komodo dragon actually evolved in Australia before spreading to Indonesia. Dramatic lowering of sea level during the last glacial period uncovered extensive stretches of continental shelf that the Komodo dragon colonised, becoming isolated in their present island range as sea levels rose afterwards. Extinct Pliocene
Sutil Island Sutil Island Sutil Island, formerly known as Gull Island, is a 13-acre rocky islet in the Channel Islands National Park. It is named after a ship of the Galiano expedition of 1792. It is located 0.4 miles southwest of Santa Barbara Island. It is 300 feet high. The island is an important wildlife habitat, particularly for seabirds. It is an important nesting site for Brandt's cormorant and the endangered Guadalupe murrelet, and is the only breeding site on the pacific coast of the US for the black storm petrel. It is also home to the island night lizard, which is