| giant tortoise genomes provide insights into longevity and age-related disease. | giant tortoises are among the longest-lived vertebrate animals and, as such, provide an excellent model to study traits like longevity and age-related diseases. however, genomic and molecular evolutionary information on giant tortoises is scarce. here, we describe a global analysis of the genomes of lonesome george-the iconic last member of chelonoidis abingdonii-and the aldabra giant tortoise (aldabrachelys gigantea). comparison of these genomes with those of related species, using both unsuper ... | 2019 | 30510174 |
| equivalency of galápagos giant tortoises used as ecological replacement species to restore ecosystem functions. | loss of key plant-animal interactions (e.g., disturbance, seed dispersal, and herbivory) due to extinctions of large herbivores has diminished ecosystem functioning nearly worldwide. mitigating for the ecological consequences of large herbivore losses through the use of ecological replacements to fill extinct species' niches and thereby replicate missing ecological functions has been proposed. it is unknown how different morphologically and ecologically a replacement can be from the extinct spec ... | 2013 | 23530938 |