FOR the past century and a half, the Seychelles giant tortoise was thought to be extinct. Then came a dramatic announcement in 1997. Ten specimens had been found alive, a discovery that sparked a frenetic breeding programme.
Now there is another twist to the tale of this ancient behemoth. A genetic analysis of the giant tortoises shows they may not be what they seem. Rather than being the few survivors of a long-lost population, the Seychelles tortoises may simply be members of another extant species. They just sport different-shaped shells.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, giant tortoises provided a…
