Lonesome George

Lonesome George ( German lonely George) was a Galapagos giant tortoise subspecies Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni (German Pinta giant tortoise ). He came from the island of Pinta the Galapagos Islands and was housed until his death at the research station of the Charles Darwin Foundation. Lonesome George was about 100 years old and weighed about 90 kg. He died on June 24, 2012 as the last individual of his subspecies probably.

Attempts to conserve Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni

After, more recent expeditions (most recently by Peter Pritchard in 2004) on the island of Pinta no other specimens of this subspecies could be found were several mating attempts - first with local near -occurring subspecies of the island of Isabela, and then with the genetically more closely related turtles San Cristóbal and Española (Geochelone nigra chathamensis, G. nigra hoodensis ) - undertaken. In July 2008, six intact eggs were discovered in a compound, although they were not fertilized. Five eggs had been incubated for 120 days unsuccessfully in 2010.

Thus died with the 100 -year-old George, as the last living representatives of Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni, his subspecies from. He was regarded as the last copy, and as a symbol of the Galapagos Islands.

Researchers who dealt with Lonesome George, are, inter alia, Michael Russello of the University of British Columbia ( Canada) and researcher Jeffrey Powell and Adalgisa Caccone of the U.S. Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Living individuals of the Pinta -Art

In the 19th century whalers and pirates seized the largest of the Galapagos Islands ( Isabela ) as a transit point for goods and food resources were being caught several turtles escape. Under the current turtle population of that island therefore find specimens with genes from different subspecies of Galapagos tortoises.

2006 saw Peter Pritchard, a leading turtle experts in the Prague zoo, a giant tortoise, whose armor of Type Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni strikingly similar, so another living male specimen of the Pinta Island - it was hoped initially. DNA analysis showed, however, that it is at that copy to a Pinzón giant tortoise ( Chelonoidis nigra duncanensis ).

Using DNA analysis was found a male with genes from both Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni as well as Chelonoidis nigra chathamensis near the Wolf volcano in 2007. In November 2012, researchers discovered on one of the Galapagos Islands 17 copies, possess the genes of Chelonoidis abingdoni. This was reported by the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment in Quito on 21 November 2012. Upon examining the Galapagos Natural Park, which was carried out in collaboration with Yale University, the researchers found, therefore, nine females, three males and five pups on the island of Isabela. They come in part from the first generation of the subspecies Chelonoidis abingdoni on the island of Pinta, who also "Lonesome George " belonged. Currently, however, can not prove beyond doubt whether there is in fact directly cognate animals. It is hoped that there are among the approximately 2000 individuals of the wolf population still a thoroughbred breeder of the Pinta -Art, although this seems very unlikely. Another large-scale DNA detection of animals on Isabela is scheduled for December 2012. There may be some Pintaschildkröten are still in zoos or private: Because they can not be distinguished from other similar species externally, reliable identification can be performed only by expensive blood tests that have not yet been carried out in many animals in captivity.