Scientists discovered traces of at least two other tortoises that may be from Fernanda's species on the Fernandina Volcano during the expedition. By the end of the 19th century, most of the Pinta Island tortoises had been wiped out due to hunting. The subspecies was described by Albert Gnther in 1877 after specimens arrived in London. Now through January, those interested in laying eyes on Georges. "My team from the Park and Galápagos Conservancy are planning a series of major expeditions to return to Fernandina Island to search for additional tortoises beginning this September." The Pinta Island tortoise, also known as the Pinta giant tortoise, Abingdon Island tortoise, or Abingdon Island giant tortoise, was a subspecies of Galpagos tortoise native to Ecuador's Pinta Island. Two years ago, the last known giant tortoise from Pinta Island in the Galápagos, Lonesome George, died at the age of about 100. "We desperately want to avoid the fate of Lonesome George," Danny Rueda Córdova, the director of the Galápagos National Park Directorate, said in the statement. He died in June 2012, at around 100 years old, bringing the end of his species despite breeding efforts, Live Science previously reported. The researchers are hoping to avoid what happened to the famous Lonesome George, a tortoise that was the last of another species called the Pinta Island tortoise ( Chelonoidis abingdoni). "We now urgently need to complete the search of the island to find other tortoises." The most important finding was that tortoises that share key morphological characteristics with the extinct species, in this case the saddleback form, can effectively replace the. In fact, the islands were named after the tortoises by the Spanish sailors who first discovered the archipelago in 1535 (the Spanish word for tortoise being galapago). The experimental introduction to Pinta Island of sterilized giant tortoises of mixed ancestry to act as ecological replacements for the extinct species was a success. James Gibbs, vice president of Science and Conservation at the Galápagos Conservancy and tortoise expert at the State University of New York, said in the statement. Giant tortoises are synonymous with the Galapagos, being top of the must-see list of many visitors. Rediscovering this lost species may have occurred just in the nick of time to save it," Dr. "One of the greatest mysteries in Galápagos has been the Fernandina Island Giant Tortoise.
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