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FLORA AND FAUNA
Galapagos giant tortoise gene study hints at longevity secrets
by Staff Writers
Quito (AFP) Dec 4, 2018

Galapagos giant tortoises possess genetic variants linked to DNA repair, immune response and cancer suppression -- providing clues into their longevity, according to a study published Monday.

A team of international researchers sequenced the genomes of two such tortoises, including Lonesome George -- the last known member of the subspecies Geochelone nigra abingdoni, who died in captivity on the Galapagos's Santa Cruz Island in 2012.

They detected "lineage-specific variants affecting DNA repair genes, inflammatory mediators and genes related to cancer development," according to the study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

The Pacific island chain off mainland Ecuador is famous for its unique flora and fauna studied by Charles Darwin as he developed his theory of evolution. Twelve giant tortoise species still inhabit it.

Galapagos National Park director Jorge Carrion said uncovering the secrets of Lonesome George's longevity will help with efforts to restore giant tortoise populations in the archipelago.

Giant tortoises, which can live for over 100 years in captivity, arrived in the volcanic Galapagos region three to four million years ago.

It is believed that ocean currents dispersed them around the islands, creating 15 different species -- three of which are extinct.

The second giant tortoise studied was a member of a species found on islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles.

sp/llu/ska/mdl

GALAPAGOS


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FLORA AND FAUNA
A bastard seal from the past reveals the potential for human hybrids
Helsinki, Finland (SPX) Dec 04, 2018
Almost ninety years ago on a freezing January morning, the keepers of the Stockholm Zoo in Sweden discovered a dead seal pup in their seal pond. The pup was immediately recognized as a bastard; a hybrid between species that should not interbreed. Only two grey seal males and one ringed seal female, species belonging to different mammalian genera, were housed in the pond. The hybrid appeared to carry a mixture of features of both the parent species. The researchers in the University of Helsinki and ... read more

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