Description of a New Galapagos Giant Tortoise Species (Chelonoidis; Testudines: Testudinidae) from Cerro Fatal on Santa Cruz Island
Poulakakis N, Edwards D, Chiari Y, Garrick R, Russello M, Benavides E, Watkins-Colwell G, Glaberman S, Tapia W, Gibbs J, Cayot L, Caccone A. Description of a New Galapagos Giant Tortoise Species (Chelonoidis; Testudines: Testudinidae) from Cerro Fatal on Santa Cruz Island. PLOS ONE 2015, 10: e0138779. PMID: 26488886, PMCID: PMC4619298, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138779.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMultiple independent evolutionary lineagesGiant tortoise speciesIndependent evolutionary lineagesCompelling genetic evidenceGalapagos tortoisesRank of speciesSanta Cruz IslandGenetic distinctivenessAnalysis of DNAEvolutionary lineagesEvolutionary relationshipsNatural populationsDNA charactersDistinct lineagesIsland of originTaxonomic revisionMorphological charactersMuseum specimensNew speciesGenetic evidenceTortoise speciesLineagesSpeciesTortoisesType specimen