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Data from: Genetic rediscovery of an ‘extinct’ Galápagos giant tortoise species Garrick, Ryan C.; Benavides, Edgar; Russello, Michael; Gibbs, James; Poulakakis, Nikos; Dion, Kirstin; Hyseni, Chaz; Kajdacsi, Brittney; Márquez, Lady; Bahan, Sarah; Ciofi, Claudio; Tapia, Washington; Caccone, Adalgisa; Dion, Kirstin B.; Gibbs, James P.; Russello, Michael A.
Description
Abstract
Genes from recently extinct species can live on in the genomes of extant individuals of mixed ancestry. Recently, Poulakakis et al. detected genetic signatures of the giant Galápagos tortoise once endemic to Floreana Island (Chelonoidis elephantopus) within eleven hybrid individuals of otherwise pure C. becki on Volcano Wolf, Isabela Island. Movement of tortoises among islands by pirate and whaling ships was not uncommon during the 1800’s, 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, Isabela Island. If found, these purebred C. elephantopus individuals could constitute core founders of a captive breeding program directed towards resurrecting this species.
Usage notes
Garrick_et_al_CurrBiol_DRYAD
Item Metadata
| Title |
Data from: Genetic rediscovery of an ‘extinct’ Galápagos giant tortoise species
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| Creator | |
| Date Issued |
2021-05-19
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| Description |
Abstract
Genes from recently extinct species can live on in the genomes of extant individuals of mixed ancestry. Recently, Poulakakis et al. detected genetic signatures of the giant Galápagos tortoise once endemic to Floreana Island (Chelonoidis elephantopus) within eleven hybrid individuals of otherwise pure C. becki on Volcano Wolf, Isabela Island. Movement of tortoises among islands by pirate and whaling ships was not uncommon during the 1800’s, 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, Isabela Island. If found, these purebred C. elephantopus individuals could constitute core founders of a captive breeding program directed towards resurrecting this species.; Usage notes Garrick_et_al_CurrBiol_DRYAD |
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| Geographic Location | |
| Type | |
| Notes |
Dryad version number: 1 Version status: submitted Dryad curation status: Published Sharing link: https://datadryad.org/stash/share/GkAj3DOop0_MVRNuv_H6y5_YRiotA18nEozw4cTW6eE</p> Storage size: 167814 Visibility: public |
| Date Available |
2020-06-24
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| Provider |
University of British Columbia Library
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| License |
CC0 1.0
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| DOI |
10.14288/1.0397758
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| URI | |
| Publisher DOI | |
| Rights URI | |
| Aggregated Source Repository |
Dataverse
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Item Citations and Data
License
CC0 1.0