Images: Taxidermy and a Famous Tortoise

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Possible Return of the Pinta Island tortoises?

the Pinta Island tortoises may have died out with Lonesome George, but genetic research has raised the possibility of a come back

(Image credit: Daniel Alvarez | Shutterstock)

Lonesome George’s kind, the Pinta Island tortoises may have died out with him, but genetic research has raised the possibility of a come back. Hybrid tortoises, with Pinta Island heritage, have been found elsewhere in the Galapagos. Researchers think a careful breeding program may one day be able to produce tortoises that share most of Lonesome George’s La Pinta heritage.

Wynne Parry
Wynne Parry
Wynne was a reporter at The Stamford Advocate. She has interned at Discover magazine and has freelanced for The New York Times and Scientific American's web site. She has a masters in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Utah.