Back from the dead�how to revive a lost species
The discovery of DNA links or ‘high ancestry’ to extinct Floreana species of giant tortoise means the mega-herbivore could one day be returned to the island for repatriation via a captive-breeding program � perhaps within the next five years.
Professor Luciano Beheregaray, Head of the Molecular Ecology Group at Flinders University, says the conservation effort will be a major milestone in jump-starting the recovery of the Foreana Island’s exotic ecosystem which critically depends on the mega herbivore.
The exciting discovery, outlined in Scientific Reports today, describes how the discovery was made after an international expedition to a remote volcano on Isabela Island in the Gal�pagos found many giant tortoises with high ancestry from the extinct Floreana Island tortoise (Chelonoidis elephantopus).
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How much mischief can a tortoise create in two minutes, find out in the Miscellany section.
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Photo from Flinders University.
