Bringing a Galapagos Tortoise Back to Life

Researchers suggest that the Galapagos Tortoise Chelonoidis elephantopus might be brought back to life. The tortoise was hunted to extinction by whalers in the 19th century. "Great sport, that. Let's go find another fast-moving species to hunt!!" Sorry, I digress. Casey Kazan of Yale University writes:

A genetic analysis of 156 tortoises living in captivity and the DNA taken from remains of specimens of the now-extinct Chelonoidis elephantopus revealed that nine are descended from the vanished species, which once made its home on Floreana Island in the Galapagos. Over a few generations, a selective breeding program among these tortoises should be able to revive the C. elephantopus species, said Adalgisa Caccone, senior research scientist in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale.

Not like reviving a Neandertal but pretty impressive, nonetheless.

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