A cryptic taxon of Galapagos tortoise in conservation peril.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Russello MA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1617146 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
A cryptic taxon of Galápagos tortoise in conservation peril.
Russello Michael A MA Glaberman Scott S Gibbs James P JP Marquez Cruz C Powell Jeffrey R JR Caccone Adalgisa A
Biology letters 20050901 3
As once boldly stated, 'bad taxonomy can kill', highlighting the critical importance of accurate taxonomy for the conservation of endangered taxa. The concept continues to evolve almost 15 years later largely because most legal protections aimed at preserving biological diversity are based on formal taxonomic designations. In this paper we report unrecognized genetic divisions within the giant tortoises of the Galápagos. We found three distinct lineages among populations formerly considered a si ...[more]
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