Article
Identification of Genetically Important Individuals of the Rediscovered Floreana Galápagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis elephantopus) Provide Founders for Species Restoration Program.
Scientific reports - 13 Sept 2017
Miller Joshua M, Quinzin Maud C, Poulakakis Nikos, Gibbs James P, Beheregaray Luciano B, Garrick Ryan C, Russello Michael A, Ciofi Claudio, Edwards Danielle L, Hunter Elizabeth A, Tapia Washington, Rueda Danny, Carrión Jorge, Valdivieso Andrés A, Caccone Adalgisa
Abstract excerpt
Species are being lost at an unprecedented rate due to human-driven environmental changes. The cases in which species declared extinct can be revived are rare. However, here we report that a remote volcano in the Galápagos Islands hosts many giant tortoises with high ancestry from a species previously declared as extinct: Chelonoidis elephantopus or the Floreana tortoise. Of 150 individuals with distinctive...
Topics
- Animals
- Breeding
- Cluster Analysis
- DNA, Mitochondrial
- Founder Effect
- Genetic Variation
- Genotype
- Humans
- Microsatellite Repeats