The Galapagos Island: A Great Example of Endemism
Islands tend to have elevated levels of endemic species, with the Galapagos Islands housing some of the highest levels of endemism anywhere on the planet. In fact, The Galapagos Islands have more endemic species than not since the Islands are so remote. The Galapagos are widely known for their charismatic animals that can be found nowhere else on earth such as giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and Galapagos fur seals. Another group of unique species to the islands are the Galapagos Finches, which their observed evolution led Charles Darwin to his renowned Theory of Evolution.
Islands tend to have elevated levels of endemic species, with the Galapagos Islands housing some of the highest levels of endemism anywhere on the planet. In fact, The Galapagos Islands have more endemic species than not since the Islands are so remote. The Galapagos are widely known for their charismatic animals that can be found nowhere else on earth such as giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and Galapagos fur seals. Another group of unique species to the islands are the Galapagos Finches, which their observed evolution led Charles Darwin to his renowned Theory of Evolution.
The Galapagos Islands have high levels of diversity and endemic species due to the geographical isolation and the various different habitat zones found across the islands. Many of the animals now endemic to the Galapagos, are believed to have come from the South American mainland many years ago. Through the years, the species that found there way to the islands, have evolved to fill available environmental niches. For example, marine iguanas (shown in the left picture) washed out to the Galapagos at some point and over time developed the ability to swim and shifted their diet to algae. The marine iguanas South American ancestor mainly live in trees, eat plants, and rarely swim. Therefore, this species adapted to a marine life in order to survive on the islands. The species found in Galapagos, led Charles Darwin to his theory of evolution because of the unique adaptations he observed in the endemic species on the islands. |
Some Endemic Species of the Galapagos:
Following photographs by Laura Bailes
Galápagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)
This is the largest species of tortoise in the world, weighing as much as a half a ton (1000 lbs.)! The Galápagos tortoises are native to seven of the Galápagos Islands. With lifespans in the wild of over 100 years, it is one of the longest-lived vertebrates. A captive individual lived at least 170 years. Spanish explorers, who discovered the islands in the 16th century, named them after the Spanish galápago, meaning "tortoise". |
Galápagos Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
These beautiful birds endemic to the Galapagos Islands are known to be brighter pink than their African relatives! Galapagos Islands flamingos eat small shellfish and tiny water plants. Their unusual hooked beaks are bright pink with a black tip. Furthermore, their beaks are specially adapted to sift debris out of their food. When feeding, the flamingos turn their heads upside down to pass food over a thin membranes known as lamellae. This filters their food ensuring it’s free of silt and mud. Males and females look the same to the human eye, but once they find a partner, these birds mate for life. |
Galápagos Marine Iguana (Ablyrhynchus cristatus)
Unique among modern lizards, it is a marine reptile that has the ability to forage in the sea for algae, which makes up almost all of its diet. Large males are able to dive to find this food source, while females and smaller males feed during low tide in the intertidal zone. They mainly live in colonies on rocky shores where they bask after visiting the relatively cold water or intertidal zone, but can also be seen in marshes, mangrove and beaches. |
Galápagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
subspecies P.o. urinator The brown pelican mainly feeds on fish, but occasionally eats amphibians, crustaceans, and the eggs and nestlings of birds. It nests in colonies in secluded areas, often on islands, vegetated land among sand dunes, thickets of shrubs and trees, and mangroves. Females lay two or three oval, chalky white eggs. |
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