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All of Lonesome George's Eggs are Infertile
23 January 2009
The remaining four eggs that have been in incubators at the Galapagos National Park—those from the third nest laid in September by one of the female tortoises that shares a corral with Lonesome George— were opened yesterday by Galapagos National Park staff. It was confirmed that the eggs were never actually fertilized.
Like the first set of eggs, there was no indication that these eggs contained developing embryos at any time. Fatherhood for George at this time is not a possibility. The next time park guards find nests in George’s corral, they hope the eggs will have a different destiny.
During January, February, and March, captive tortoises begin to breed and the first nests will hatch in July, said Fausto Llerena, head of the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center at the Galapagos National Park.
Over the next few months, the genetic analyses will be taking place for the 1,663 blood samples that were taken from the population of tortoises on Wolf Volcano during December 2008. Scientists are hoping to find hybrids with genes of Geochelone abigdoni, Lonesome George’s species. If hybrids are found, the possibility exists to bring his species back from the brink of extinction. George, estimated to be about 90 or 100 years old, is originally from Pinta Island and is the very last living member of his species.
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