Galapagos turtles, thought to be extinct for 115 years, have returned to the islands

The Galapagos Islands are home to many species of giant tortoise, but some are more

The most elusive was Fernandina's tortoise, which for a long time was known from only one specimen, discovered in 1906.Expeditions to the island have found evidence of the creatures before: in 1964, a suspicious turtle droppings were discovered, and in 2009, a swimming turtle was spotted.

Finally, in 2019, the island was discoveredlive breathing turtle. But this alone was not enough to confirm the species - whalers and sailors are known to have ferried these creatures between the Galapagos Islands in the past, so a specimen could belong to any of about a dozen species.

To find out for sure, the team ranA DNA test of this sample (since then called Fernanda or simply Fern), comparing it to a sample taken from the original tortoise Fernandina. The DNA match confirmed that scientists have a long-lost species.

“Giant turtles have always been a source ofsurprise and awe at the same time. Now, thanks to Fernanda, they are again providing hope for the return of our planet's lost and endangered species, and for the protection and restoration of biodiversity, ”says Don Church, President of Re: wild, one of the conservation organizations supporting the expedition.

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