Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni

"Lonesome George" redirects here. For the musician, see George Thorogood.

Pinta Island tortoise
Lonesome George, a Galápagos tortoise suspected to be the last surviving member of his subspecies
Conservation status
Extinct in the Wild (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Chelonoidis
Species:	C. nigra
Subspecies:	C. n. abingdoni
Trinomial name
Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni (Günther, 1877)

Lonesome George (Spanish: Solitario Jorge) is a tortoise, the last known individual of the Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni), which is one of eight to fifteen extant subspecies of Galápagos tortoise, all of which are native to the Galápagos Islands.^[1][2] He has been labeled the rarest creature in the world, and he is a potent symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos and conservation efforts internationally.^[3] It is thought that he was named after a character played by American actor George Gobel.

George was first seen on the island of Pinta on 1 December 1971 by Hungarian malacologist József Vágvölgyi. The island's vegetation had been devastated by introduced feral goats, and the indigenous C. n. abingdoni population had been reduced to a single individual. Relocated for his safety to the Charles Darwin Research Station, George was penned with two females of a different subspecies, and although eggs have been produced, none have hatched.

George is estimated to be about 100 years of age, and he is in good health.^[4] A prolonged effort to exterminate goats introduced to Pinta is now complete, and the vegetation of the island is starting to return to its former state.

The presence of mixed race Pinta ancestry tortoises around Wolf Volcano, on neighbouring Isabela island, suggests the recent presence of at least one Pinta individual near Wolf Volcano. A possible purebreed Pinta candidate, male and dubbed "Tony", lives in a Prague zoo.

There is a reward of $10,000 for the discovery of a Pinta female,^[5] which will save the subspecies.

Reproduction attempts

Attempts at mating Lonesome George have been unsuccessful for several decades, possibly due to the lack of any females of his own subspecies, and have prompted researchers at the Darwin Station to offer a $10,000 reward for a suitable mate.^[2]

Until January 2011, George was penned with two females of the subspecies Geochelone nigra becki, from the Wolf Volcano region of Isabela island, in the hope that his genotype would be retained in any resulting progeny. This subspecies was then thought to be genetically closest to George's; however, any offspring successfully hatched from George and his consorts would be intergrades, not purebreds of the Pinta subspecies.^[4]

On July 21, 2008, it was reported that George had unexpectedly mated with one of his female companions. A total of thirteen eggs were collected and placed in incubators.^[6] However, on November 11, 2008, the Charles Darwin Foundation reported that 80% of the eggs showed weight loss characteristic of being inviable.^[6][7] To the disappointment of the Darwin Center, by December 2008, the remaining eggs had failed to hatch and x-rays showed them to be inviable.^[8]

On July 21, 2009, exactly one year after first announcing George had mated, the Galápagos National Park announced that a second clutch of five eggs had been laid by one of George's female companions.^[9] The park authority expressed its hope for the second clutch of eggs, which it described as being in perfect condition, saying: "Now we have to wait for the incubation period of 120 days to find out whether they are fertile".^[10] The eggs were moved to an incubator, but on December 16, it was announced that the incubation period had ended, and the eggs were shown to be inviable, as were a second batch of 6 eggs laid by the other female.^[11]

Possibility of breeding

In the wild

In May 2007, analysis of genomic microsatellites (DNA sequences) suggested that other individuals of Geochelone nigra abingdoni may still exist in the wild at the Galápagos.^[12] Researchers have identified one male tortoise from the Volcano Wolf region of neighboring Galápagos island of Isabela which has half his genes in common with George's subspecies. This animal must be a first generation intergrade between the subspecies of the islands Isabela and Pinta.^[12] It is possible that a pure Pinta tortoise lives among the 2,000 tortoises on Isabela.^[13]

“

"The identification of eight individuals of mixed ancestry among only 27 individuals sampled (estimated Volcano Wolf population size 1,000–2,000) ... suggests the need to mount an immediate and comprehensive survey ... to search for additional individuals of Pinta ancestry."[12]

”

At Prague Zoo

In 2009, another male tortoise by the name of Tony, who currently resides in a Prague zoo, was discovered as most likely being an additional pure breed, native, Pinta tortoise. Believed to be born around 1960, Tony has been housed in the zoo since 1972. Peter Pritchard, one of the world’s foremost authorities on Galápagos tortoises (and of tortoises and turtles in the world, more generally), has found the shell on Tony to be extremely similar to that of George and Pinta museum specimens. Research is still currently being processed to confirm this match, and Tony is still being cared for at the Prague zoo.^[5]

With Geochelone hoodensis

In January 2011, it was reported that scientists believe he had a better possibility of breeding with members of the Hood Island giant tortoise (Geochelone hoodensis) after genetic studies appeared positive. On January 20, 2011, two individual Geochelone hoodensis female partners were imported to the CDRS where George lives.^[14]

References

1. ^ Geochelone nigra. IUCN Red List. http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/9011/summ 
2. ^ ^{a b} Gardner, Simon (February 6, 2001). "Lonesome George faces own Galapagos tortoise curse". http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/9708/newsDate/06-Feb-2001/story.htm 
3. ^ Nicholls, H (2006). Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of a Conservation Icon. London: Macmillan Science. ISBN 1-4039-4576-4. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/henry 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Joy at giant tortoise eggs". BBC. 23 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7522573.stm. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Sulloway, Frank J. (06-07-28). "Is Lonesome George Really Lonesome". http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/06-07-28. Retrieved 22 December 2009. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Dwindling Hopes of Offspring from Lonesome". Charles Darwin Foundation. http://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/newsroom/news-releases/2008-11-11_george_eg_fcd. Retrieved 11 November 2008. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ "Galapagos bachelor tortoise struggles to be a dad". CBC. 11 November 2008. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/11/11/tortoise.html?ref=rss. 
8. ^ Gray, Louise (5 December 2008). "Lonesome George's first sex in decades ends in disappointment". London: The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/3566021/Lonesome-Georges-first-sex-in-decades-ends-in-disappointment.html. Retrieved 27 January 2009. 
9. ^ "New eggs spark Galapagos tortoise hopes". WA Today. 22 July 2009. http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-world/new-eggs-spark-galapagos-tortoise-hopes-20090722-dt0f.html. Retrieved 2009-07-22. 
10. ^ Tran, Mark (22 July 2009). "Lonesome George, the last Galápagos giant tortoise, may become a dad". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/22/lonesome-george-galapagos-tortoise-father. Retrieved 2009-07-22. 
11. ^ "Eggs from Lonesome George's Companion are inviable, Once Again". GNP NEWS. 16 December 2009. http://www.galapagos.org/2008/index.php?id=234. Retrieved 2009-12-19. 
12. ^ ^{a b c} Russello, Michael A.; Beheregaray, Luciano B.; Gibbs, James P.; Fritts, Thomas; Havill, Nathan; Powell, Jeffrey R.; Caccone., Adalgisa (1 May 2007). "Lonesome George is not alone among Galápagos tortoises". Current Biology 17 (9): R317–R318. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.03.002. PMID 17470342. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6VRT-4NM6G0N-9-2&_cdi=6243&_user=10&_orig=search&_coverDate=05%2F01%2F2007&_sk=999829990&view=c&wchp=dGLbVzW-zSkzS&md5=1b2a31ba3a0caff63c814a98176042b1&ie=/sdarticle.pdf 
13. ^ "Iconic tortoise George may not be last of his kind". 2007-05-01. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/05/01/1911805.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-20. 
14. ^ Will Lonesome George finally find a mate?

External links

Turtles portal

• Naked Scientists audio discussion of Lonesome George
• Article on Lonesome George The giant tortoise of Galapagos Island.
• Lonesome George, by Vicki Seal
• GC News: Team of Veterinarians Prepare Hybrid Tortoises for Release on Pinta Island in 2010