Highlights from Chapman Galapagos Presentation

[mobtech]

It was a great presentation by Dr. Fred Caparoso.
Here are some highlights, feel free to add on if you were there or know anymore.

-The dome galapagos tortoises weigh in a 500 lbs., but there are other species that weigh in at less than 90 lbs., saddleback.
-Lonesome George Died June 24, 2012.
+He was most likely babied too much.
+He was found 40 years ago and brought back to the Darwin
Research Center, were he was placed with females from Isabella
Island.
+Later blood work would show that George was closer related to
those from Espanola Island. So his roommates were changed for
the last few years of his life.
+He died without successfully mating with any females.
-Movement of tortoises
+Most likely how Lonesome George's Nearest Relatives are the
Espanola Tortoise is that somehow the tortoises floated in the
currents off the East Coast of Santa Cruz Island.
+Tortoises were moved between islands as sailors brought them
on ships for fresh men.
+When a ship needed to be lightened to sail faster, tortoises were
discarded.
+Some would swim ashore.
-There still maybe Floreana Tortoises after Scientists believed they had been extinct for 150 years.
+A team of scientists taking blood tests of around 1,700 of the 5,000
tortoises discovered on Volcano Wolf, on Isabella Island,discovered
that a few tortoises were hybrids of dome and saddleback.
+The test showed that one 15 year old tortoise had genes from the
Floreana Tortoises.
+It is very possible that there are more Floreana Tortoises, which
Scientists classified as extinct.
+Blood test of the other 3,300 or so tortoises are being planned.

I am sure I am missing things, but this is what I remember off the top of the head. I forgot a pen or I would have taken notes.

 

[Tom]

I really wanted to go to this, but I was busy getting bitten by three dogs for a job. Thanks for the highlights. I read an article in the "Tortuga Gazette" from a few years ago that alluded to the same info about Lonesome George.

 

[Jacqui]

Thank you very much for taking the time to write and post this for us.

Especially with George gone, are they planning on trying to breed back those carrying the Floreana gene to try to bring that line back as much as possible? Or any of the other lines for that matter, like George's.

Is there any kind of a guess as to how long one of these tortoises could possibly stay afloat and survive? Just idly wondering how far these tortoises could really be spread. I guess I like to think that on some deserted island or in somebody's backyard some where is another George or Georgette.

Another point that was brought up, that I found interesting is they think they babied George too much. Sad to think that if they had made him live a more natural "tougher" life, he might still be around. That has really got to be making some of them feel really guilty at that thought. It's sorta like mankind being "mean and thoughtless" brought the tortoises down to near extinction and then man with too much "love and kindness" finsihed the job. A no win situation.