Expeditions to the remote Galapagos Islands are being drawn up to try to find more examples of a tortoise species once thought extinct in the hope that they can reproduce.
A female named Fernanda by scientists who found her in 2019 is related to Lonesome George, the only other encounter with the species who was discovered in 1906, research supported by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund found.
Fernanda is named after her Fernandina Island home, where more expeditions are being planned.
“It is a truly exciting discovery that the species is not in fact extinct, but lives on,” said study lead author Dr Evelyn Jensen from Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences.
“Only two tortoises have ever been found on Fernandina Island, and here we have shown that they are indeed members of the same species, and different from the other Galapagos tortoises.”
Scientists sequenced genomes of the 1906 specimen, known as chelonoidis phantasticus, and the 2019 female. They found the two were linked and distinct from all others, according to the findings published in Communications Biology on Thursday.
“What comes next for the species depends on whether any other living individuals can be found,” Dr Jensen said.
“If there are more Fernandina tortoises, then a breeding programme could start to bolster the population. We hope that Fernanda is not the ‘endling’ of her species.”
Other expeditions found signs of at least two or three more tortoises living on the island, giving hope that Fernanda may not be the last of her kind.
For now, Fernanda is in a similar position to Lonesome George, famed for being the last of the Pinta Island Galapagos giant tortoises.
He lived out his final decades of life in captivity but never bred and his species was thought extinct in 2012 when he died of old age.
Fernandina Island is an active volcano at the western side of the Galapagos Islands, which Charles Darwin visited in 1835, inspiring his theory of evolution.
The male specimen used in the study was collected by explorer Rollo Beck during an expedition by the California Academy of Sciences in 1906.
Researchers believe Fernanda, who was found in an isolated vegetation patch cut off by lava flows, is about 50 years old and has suffered stunted growth.
She is now being kept in captivity in the Galapagos National Park Tortoise Centre.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Juliet, Naked
Dir: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke
Two stars
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Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
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25 visual effects (VFX) studios
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General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
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'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
The Voice of Hind Rajab
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Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
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Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones
Five out of five stars
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Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
