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Tortoise Species Thought to Be Extinct Still Lives, Genetic Analysis Reveals

By Guest PostJanuary 10, 2012Naturec elephantopus, charles darwin, chelonoidis elephantopus, domed shaped shells, ecological integrity, floreana, floreana island, galapagos islands, genetic analysis, genetic database, giant tortoises, gisella caccone, hunting by whalers, hybrid offspring, isabela, isabela island, missing species, northern shore, northern tip of isabela island, probability, ryan garrick, saddle shaped, shells of tortoises, species, theory of natural selection, university of mississipi, volcanic slopes, volcano wolf, volcano wolf tortoises, voyage to the galapagos, yale university

Dozens of giant tortoises of a species believed extinct for 150 years may still be living at a remote location in the Galápagos Islands, a genetic analysis conducted by Yale University researchers reveals.

The analysis, published Jan. 9 in the journal Current Biology, suggests that direct descendants of at least 38 purebred individuals of Chelonoidis elephantopus live on the volcanic slopes of the northern shore of Isabela Island — 200 miles from their ancestral home of Floreana Island, where they disappeared after being hunted by whalers. (more…)

New Study Shows How Tortoises, Alligators Thrived in High Arctic Some 50 Million Years Ago

A new study of the High Arctic climate roughly 50 million years ago led by the University of Colorado at Boulder helps to explain how ancient alligators and giant tortoises were able to thrive on Ellesmere Island well above the Arctic Circle, even as they endured six months of darkness each year. (more…)

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Tortoise Species Thought to Be Extinct Still Lives, Genetic Analysis Reveals

New Study Shows How Tortoises, Alligators Thrived in High Arctic Some 50 Million Years Ago