Recovered DNA reveals lost Galapagos tortoise lineages
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Yale University researchers studying the Galapagos Islands identified two extinct lineages of giant tortoises by analyzing severely degraded DNA from museum specimens.
Scientists faced the challenge of reconstructing genetic relationships from samples where less than one percent of the genome was readable. They overcame this by combining several genome analysis tools designed for fragmented genetic material, successfully placing the extinct specimens on an existing evolutionary tree built from living tortoises.
The team extracted DNA from dried bones of five tortoises representing the extinct San Cristóbal and Santa Fe island lineages. This work builds on ongoing research into the genetic diversity of Galapagos giant tortoises, a species native to the islands off the coast of Ecuador. Researchers believe that genetic material from these extinct lineages may still exist within modern, hybrid tortoises. Historical sailors moved tortoises between islands, leading to breeding between different populations.
Current captive breeding programs could potentially recover these lost genomes by mating these hybrids, aiding conservation efforts across the Galapagos archipelago. The new computational tools developed during the study could also be useful for conserving other wildlife.
