Ok, I would really like people to weigh in on this one. Jennifer is in the Galapagos, so I figured I might as well write about them. And what better topic to write about than rewilding the Galapagos. Here's the scenario: the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation has spent the last 8 years or so removing feral goat and pig populations from a suite of the islands. I was the Science and Conservation Advisor for this massive project which was a huge success. One of the islands we restored was Pinta Island, where we removed a couple thousand goats. The island is now free of non-native mammals and the native vegetation has recovered. There is only one problem: no tortoises.
Once abundant on Pinta Island, tortoises - the megafauna of the Galapagos - were first wiped out by whalers for food and then heavily impacted by habitat degradation by goats. The sole survivor from Pinta Island - Lonesome George - lives in captivity. No one can seem to talk Lonesome George into breeding with any tortoises from other islands. No libido apparently (they have been trying for over a decade). Many of the islands in the Galapagos, including Pinta, have genetically distinct giant tortoises populations. Closely related and the same species, but distinct.
So here is the question: should we reintroduce a closely related tortoise population to Pinta island to replace the tortoise population that was there historically? Should we try and restore the ecological role of tortoises back to the island (which we know was very important) and re-start evolution on the island? Or should we resist "playing god" and leave the island alone? (but are we already playing God?)
See a recent article in The Independent for my view and the Galapagos National Park's new restoration plan for Pinta Island.
- Log in to post comments
More like this
I say bring the tortoises back. And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again.
Is there reproductive isolation between Pinta turtles and the other islands? If so, it's worth a serious re-assessment of how different an ecological role George and his ilk would play as opposed to other tortises. If they aren't even isolated (e.g. not enough time has passed for evolution to change that most fundamental of machinery), and it is plausible that a tortise could be transported, than it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that such an event could happen anyway. Why not!
A choice to not act is still a choice.
If the tortoises from all of the islands are inter-fertile I would suggest seeding Pinta Island with a tortoise or two from each island (including Lonesome George). That way that 'neo-pintan' tortoises will be descended from as wide a genetic diversity as possible. (If the Pintan ecology is very well-restored it would be possible to harvest an occasional tortoise.)
Bring them back. I like Christopher's suggestion to use Lonesome George and tortoises from other islands. This would be the best way to avoid reseeding the island and minimize the founders effect.
Transplant the tortoises! If there is an ecological niche for them and they will help the island trend back towards how it was pre-whalers, it seems like the best option.
I seem to recall a suggestion that (an)other Pinta tortoise(s) had been found (either misidentified in the captive populace or somewhere on island during the goat cull? Assuming that was inaccurate then go for it I say.
Yes...and hell yes. Oh, and why not attempt to establish colonies on other islands or seperate locations so that in the event of a cataclysmic appearance of a pandemic disease of some other impact, natural or man-made, the legacy can be protected until it can be re-established. Humans never seem to hesitate to use our ability in disregard for the species that not just fascinate us but make the living system so productive that it can actually support us in our profligacy. It makes great sense to use it intelligently and carefully, but use it to keep the complexity that is so closely correlated to any system's productivity as complete as possible. Thanks for what you're doin'.
Many photos of Lonesome George
Yes!
Lonesome George generates a lot of tourism. From an economic standpoint, does it make good sense (cents) to have more than one?
Humans never seem to hesitate to use our ability in disregard for the species that not just fascinate us but make the living system so productive that it can actually support us in our profligacy.
Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again.
the species that not just fascinate us but make the living system so productive that it can actually support us in our profligacy. It makes great sense to use it intelligently and carefully, but use it to keep the complexity that is so closely correlated to any system's productivity as complete as possible.
It makes great sense to use it intelligently and carefully, but use it to keep the complexity that is so closely correlated to any system's productivity as complete as possible. Thanks for.
It makes great sense to use it intelligently and carefully, but use it to keep the complexity that is so closely correlated to any system's productivity as complete as possible. Thanks for.
Humans never seem to hesitate to use our ability in disregard for the species that not just fascinate us but make the living system so productive that it can actually support us in our profligacy.Thanks a lot
Lonesome George generates a lot of tourism. From an economic standpoint, does it make good sense (cents) to have more than one?
It makes great sense to use it intelligently and carefully, but use it to keep the complexity that is so closely correlated to any system's productivity as complete as possible. Thanks for.
And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again.
It makes great sense to use it intelligently and carefully, but use it to keep the complexity that is so closely correlated to any system's productivity as complete as possible. Thanks for.
And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again.
If the tortoises from all of the islands are inter-fertile I would suggest seeding Pinta Island with a tortoise or two from each island (including Lonesome George). That way that 'neo-pintan' tortoises will be descended from as wide a genetic diversity as possible. (If the Pintan ecology is very well-restored it would be possible to harvest an occasional tortoise.)
And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again.
Bu, akıllıca ve dikkatli kullanmak ama mümkün olduÄunca eksiksiz olarak çok yakından herhangi bir sistemin verimliliÄi için iliÅkilidir karmaÅıklıÄı tutmak için kullanabilirsiniz büyük anlam ifade eder.
And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again
Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again.
And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!)
And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!)
And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!)
Is there reproductive isolation between Pinta turtles and the other islands? If so, it's worth a serious re-assessment of how different an ecological role George and his ilk would play as opposed to other tortises. If they aren't even isolated (e.g. not enough time has passed for evolution to change that most fundamental of machinery), and it is plausible that a tortise could be transported, than it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that such an event could happen anyway. Why not!
If the tortoises from all of the islands are inter-fertile I would suggest seeding Pinta Island with a tortoise or two from each island (including Lonesome George). That way that 'neo-pintan' tortoises will be descended from as wide a genetic diversity as possible. (If the Pintan ecology is very well-restored it would be possible to harvest an occasional tortoise.) And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again.
If the tortoises from all of the islands are inter-fertile I would suggest seeding Pinta Island with a tortoise or two from each island (including Lonesome George). That way that 'neo-pintan' tortoises will be descended from as wide a genetic diversity as possible. (If the Pintan ecology is very well-restored it would be possible to harvest an occasional tortoise.) And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again.
If the tortoises from all of the islands are inter-fertile I would suggest seeding Pinta Island with a tortoise or two from each island (including Lonesome George). That way that 'neo-pintan' tortoises will be descended from as wide a genetic diversity as possible. (If the Pintan ecology is very well-restored it would be possible to harvest an occasional tortoise.) And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he ..
Of course, we should try to restore old fauna of these islands. We need to fix those to applicable, which have made the whalers. I think you need to pay attention to these issues.
If the tortoises from all of the islands are inter-fertile I would suggest seeding Pinta Island with a tortoise or two from each island (including Lonesome George). That way that 'neo-pintan' tortoises will be descended from as wide a genetic diversity as possible. (If the Pintan ecology is very well-restored it would be possible to harvest an occasional tortoise.) And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again
That way that 'neo-pintan' tortoises will be descended from as wide a genetic diversity as possible.
the species that not just fascinate us but make the living system so productive that it can actually support us in our profligacy. It makes great sense to use it intelligently and carefully, but use it to keep the complexity that is so closely correlated to any system's productivity as complete as possible
the species that not just fascinate us but make the living system so productive that it can actually support us in our profligacy. It makes great sense to use it intelligently and carefully, but use it to keep the complexity that is so closely correlated to any system's productivity as complete as possible
If they aren't even isolated (e.g. not enough time has passed for evolution to change that most fundamental of machinery), and it is plausible that a tortise could be transported, than it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that such an event could happen anyway
If the tortoises from all of the islands are inter-fertile I would suggest seeding Pinta Island with a tortoise or two from each island (including Lonesome George). That way that 'neo-pintan' tortoises will be descended from as wide a genetic diversity as possible. (If the Pintan ecology is very well-restored it would be possible to harvest an occasional tortoise.) And free Lonesome George! Who knows, maybe if George was free to roam as king of Pinta Island, and had a harem of female tortoises, he would come out of his shell (!) and start mating again.
Tortoises are one of my favorite animals. Even thou I don't know the reason for that I still love them, maybe the reason that they are so slow and can't to mush harm to the people
It makes great sense to use it intelligently and carefully, but use it to keep the complexity that is so closely correlated.
If they aren't even isolated (e.g. not enough time has passed for evolution to change that most fundamental of machinery), and it is plausible that a tortise could be transported, than it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that such an event could happen anyway.