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After 150 geezerhood of being " extinct , " a coinage of jumbo tortoise may be on the verge of a replication enlistment , scientists describe today ( Jan. 9 ) .
The researchers " found " the lost species , calledChelonoidis elephantopus , by analyzing the genome of a closely related metal money , Chelonoidis becki , which lives on Isabela Island , the largest of the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean . The island lie about 200 international mile ( 322 kilometers ) from Floreana Island , whereC. elephantopuswas last blemish before disappearing , likely due to hunting by whaler , some 150 years ago .
This tortoise is a hybrid ofC. beckiandC. elephantopus, a species native to Floreana Island some 200 miles away and thought to be extinct. Genetic analysis of tortoise population on Isabela Island suggests purebred individuals ofC. elephantopusmust still be alive on Isabela.
The two specie of gigantic tortoise , both living in theGalápagos Islands(famously studied by Charles Darwin ) , have different shaped shells . The scale ofC. elephantopuson Floreana Island were saddle - shaped while tortoises on other islands , includingC. becki , had domed - shaped shell . These giant tortoise can matter nearly 900 pound ( 408 kilo ) and reach almost 6 feet(1.8 metre ) in length .
Finding hybrid
The researchers noticed in 2008 that some of theC. beckishells were more saddle shapedthan domed shaped , and find that these were intercrossed offspring from matings between the two species . They took samples for genic analysis from 1,669 of the large tortoises on the island , about 20 percent of their population .
This tortoise is a hybrid ofC. beckiandC. elephantopus, a species native to Floreana Island some 200 miles away and thought to be extinct. Genetic analysis of tortoise population on Isabela Island suggests purebred individuals ofC. elephantopusmust still be alive on Isabela.
They find some snippets of theC. elephantopusgenome in the universe , and using a special computer model they analyzed how recently these genes would have entered the population . This would have happened when a livingC. elephantopusmated with aC. becki — and is collateral test copy that at that time livingC. elephantopusexisted .
They found that 84 of the tortoise had genetic indicators that one of their parents was aC. elephantopus , 30 of which were less than 15 age of age . Given the 100 - year lifespan of the tortoise the researcher say there is a good chance that theirC. elephantopusparent would still be live .
" To our noesis , this is the first report of the rediscovery of a species by fashion of tail the genetic footprints left in the genome of its hybrid offspring , " study researcher Ryan Garrick , who performed the body of work at Yale University , but is now assistant professor at the University of Mississippi , said in a command . " These finding emit raw biography into the conservation prospects for fellow member of this flagship group . "
C. beckitortoises are native to Isabela Island in the Galapagos chain and have more domed-shape shells.
Because ofgenetic deviation between the intercrossed tortoise , the researcher forecast that at least 38C. elephantopusleft behind hybrid descendants on the Galápagos Islands , and many may still be alive .
Planning a comeback tour
If the research worker can find this hidden population , they could capture soul to set up a training program toregenerate the metal money , the authors compose in the newspaper published Jan. 9 in the journal Current Biology . They could even endeavor to resuscitate the species from the genetical snip found inC. becki .
" This is not just an donnish usage , " study research worker Gisella Caccone , of Yale University , said in a financial statement . " If we can find these individuals , we can doctor them to their island of stemma . This is important as these animals are keystone species playing a all-important part in maintaining the ecological unity of the island communities . "
In an interesting twist , the researcher are n’t trusted how thegiant tortoiseswould have gotten from Floreana Island to Isabela — they suggest the animals may have been brought to Isabela as intellectual nourishment and then either bemuse overboard or left on the shore .
