Giant Tortoises on Galápagos Island Aren’t What They Appear to Be

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Takeaways:

  • Giant tortoises living in the San Cristóbal Island have been mistakenly given the wrong scientific name, as the one previously given to them is associated with an extinct tortoise.
  • Recent DNA evidence suggests that the lowland tortoises are of an entirely different lineage than the highland Chelonoidis chathamensis tortoise that they were thought to be.
  •  Should future evidence confirm the presence of two species, scientists will have to come up with a new name for the lowland tortoises, as there are around 8000 of them living on the island.

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