Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Garrick, R. C., Benavides, E., Russello, M. A., Gibbs, J. P., Poulakakis, N., & Dion, K. B., et al. (2012). Genetic rediscovery of an ‘extinct’ galápagos giant tortoise species. Current Biology, 22(1), R10–R11.
Added by: Admin (29 Jan 2012 12:38:45 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2011.12.004 BibTeX citation key: Garrick2012 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Genetik = genetics, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Südamerika = South America, Systematik = taxonomy Creators: Bahan, Benavides, Caccone, Ciofi, Dion, Garrick, Gibbs, Hyseni, Kajdacsi, Márquez, Poulakakis, Russello, Tapia Collection: Current Biology |
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| Abstract |
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Genes from recently extinct species can live on in the genomes of extant individuals of mixed ancestry. Recently, genetic signatures of the giant Galápagos tortoise once endemic to Floreana Island (Chelonoidis elephantopus) were detected within eleven hybrid individuals of otherwise pure Chelonoidis becki on Volcano Wolf, Isabela Island . Movement of tortoises between islands by pirate and whaling ships was not uncommon during the 1800s , representing a likely mechanism by which individuals from Floreana were translocated to northern Isabela, despite being presumed extinct soon after Charles Darwin's historic voyage to the Galápagos Islands in 1835. These eleven hybrid individuals with C. elephantopus ancestry were thought to be the last genetic vestiges of a unique evolutionary lineage in the wild. Here, we report that reproductively mature purebred tortoises of the recently ‘extinct’ C. elephantopus from Floreana Island are very likely still alive today, as identified and tracked through the genetic footprints left in the genomes of very recent hybrid offspring on Volcano Wolf. If found, these purebred C. elephantopus individuals could constitute core founders of a captive breeding program directed towards resurrecting this species.
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