Charles Darwin once said: “it is an intolerable thought that he [the human being] and all other sentient beings are doomed to complete annihilation after such long continued slow progress”. For the 100 years old turtle called Lonesome George, this long and slow evolutionary road seems to inevitably lead to its end, since he is the last remaining member of its species. Learn about the past two years of George’s struggle, according to the Galapagos National Park Management:
21 July 2008 – Lonesome George may have descendants: between 120 and 130 days will have to pass before we find out if the eggs are fertile.
4 August 2008 – The lonely turtle’s possibilities to have descendants arise: at this moment, a total of 13 eggs -5 from the female partner number 107 and 8 from the female partner number 106- are found at the incubator.
8 September 2008 – The park keepers find another nest in George’s yard: with this discovery, the possibilities of having descendants increase for this emblematic animal.
21 November 2008 – The hopes for having descendants lessen: the eggs’ considerable weight loss raises doubts about their fertility.
3 December 2008 – The analysis of George’s eggs confirm their infertility: there is no sign of embryo development in the first eggs.
1 January 2009 – Lonesome George’s last eggs have been opened: the eggs have finished their incubation cycle in January, with no signs of embryo development.
21 July 2009 – Hope arises again: a new nest has been found in the yard of our famous turtle.
5 October 2009 – One more chance for the “Loner”: another of his female partners has laid six eggs.
11 December 2009 – The eggs of George’s partners have again turned out to be unfertile: the National Park’s technicians have few hopes for George to have descendants this season.
George’s struggle continues, and the world will certainly keep getting news from him in the following decades. This sole survivor of the turtles’ massacre, carried out by sailors and buccaneers during the 18th and 19th centuries, has lived to tell us his amazing story. Maybe it won’t be soon, but we will keep waiting for the moment he will finally reproduce successfully, giving us a lesson of hope.
Photo: Mike Weston
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