Researchers have discovered a turtle related to a species believed to be extinct in the Galapagos archipelago. The specimen, a young female, is considered "of high priority because it has a large genetic load of the species Chelonoidis abingdonii, " said Galapagos National Park (PNG) on Friday.
The turtle was identified during an experiment on the Wolf volcano, on Isabela Island. Former pirates and whalers used to abandon turtles there to lighten the load on their boats. Their number is today estimated between 10,000 and 12,000, over an area of 600 km².
Turtles placed in captivity
The discovered turtle belongs to the same species as George the Solitary, who died without descendants. According to the researchers, it could "be a direct descendant of a pure specimen still living in the vicinity" of the volcano. George died in 2012 after refusing to mate in captivity with females of similar species.
The researchers also located 29 other turtles, including 18 females and 11 males, presenting a "partial lineage" with the species Chelonoidis niger, considered to be extinct. The thirty turtles recovered during the expedition were transferred to the "Fausto Llerena" breeding center on Santa Cruz Island.
After a quarantine period, specimens related to Chelonoidis niger will be added to the captive breeding program. PNG will also study the measures to be taken concerning the George's tortoise. Eleven species of giant tortoises remain in the Galapagos. Four other species have disappeared since the arrival of Charles Darwin in 1835 on these islands, whose observation inspired his theory of evolution.
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- Galapagos
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