TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION
In the late 1800s' the British museum thought the giant tortoise originated from Galapagos, Mascarenes, and Seychelles. but were they right....
What is Taxonomic Classification?
Is an explanation of why it is classified in this way (anatomical and physiological characteristics)
The Galapagos island were found in 1835 but they were named Insulae de los Galopegos (island of the tortoises).(Pritchard) At first the giant tortoises of the Indian ocean and the ones from Galapagos were thought to be from the same species. (Schneider) This was because people thought that sailors transported the tortoises there. For a long period of time they were referred to as the Indian Tortoise until 1812, when a German naturalist named them the “Gigantic Tortoise”.(Schneider) In 1834, they were classified as a separate species, which they were named as the "Black Tortoise.(Dumeril)In 1875 and 1877, the British Museum identified that the giant tortoises originate from the Galápagos, Seychelles, the Mascarenes.
all 14 SPECIES OF THE GALAPAGOS TORTOISE
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1. Abingdon Island tortoise (extinct: last one died in 2012, but there is a hybrid on the Isabel Islands)
2. Volcan Wolf Turtoise
3. Chatham Island tortoise
4. James Island tortoise
5. Duncan Island tortoise
6. Sierra Negra Tortoise
7. Hood Island tortoise
8. Volcan Darwin tortoise
9. Floreana Island/Charles Island tortoise (extinct: between 1835-1838 because of heavy exploitation by sailors)
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But this later changed as all the islands were made up of volcanic origin and were never linked by land bridges. This lead to the belief that the Galápagos tortoises to have been originated South American and the tortoises from the Indian Ocean were originated from Madagascar. (Austin) By the beginning of the 20th century some research was done, and it is now believed that 10 populations are thought to have existed. There are currently 11 species of Galapagos Tortoises that are still alive, with 4 other species that have gone extinct 6 are found amongst the multiple islands of Galapagos, and 5 other species can be found in the Isabela Island. (Caccone)
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