Lonesome George, a 5ft long, 200lb tortoise aged anywhere between 60 and 200 will be the subject of the latest in a series of science talks given at the Whipple Museum of the History of Science this Monday.
Lonesome George, a 5ft long, 200lb tortoise aged anywhere between 60 and 200 will be the subject of the latest in a series of science talks given at the Whipple Museum of the History of Science this Monday.
探花直播giant reptile was discovered in 1971 on the remote Galapagos island of Pinta, from which tortoises had supposedly been exterminated by buccaneering whalers and seal hunters.
George has been at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz island ever since, on the off-chance that scientific ingenuity will conjure up a way of reproducing him and resurrecting his species.
Meanwhile, a million tourists and dozens of baffled scientists have looked on as the celebrity reptile shows not a jot of interest in the female company provided.
Today, Lonesome George has come to embody the mystery, complexity and fragility of the unique Galapagos archipelago.
His story echoes the challenges of conservation worldwide. It is a swashbuckling tale of combat and collection on the high seas, Darwin, sexual dysfunction, hostages, moonlit escapes, culture clashes, cloning, DNA fingerprinting and eco-tourism.
Lisa Newble from the Whipple Museum explains: 鈥淟onesome George鈥檚 story is a fascinating tale and Henry Nicholls makes it sad, astonishing and funny by turns. 探花直播event is the second in a series of free popular science talks being held at the Whipple Museum of the History of Science.鈥
Leading science writer Henry Nichols will speak about his new book, 鈥楲onesome George: the life and loves of a conservation icon鈥 at the Whipple Museum of the History of Science on Monday 25 September 2006 at 5.30pm.
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