Whose work first described the slow-moving giant tortoises of the Galápagos?
Quick Answer
Charles Darwin made the Galápagos giant tortoises famous during the voyage of the Beagle in the 1830s. Their island differences became part of the evidence that shaped his thinking about evolution.
The Full Story
Charles Darwin encountered Galápagos giant tortoises during the Beagle voyage in the 1830s, and later observations of island variation helped inform his ideas about evolution by natural selection. Different islands have tortoises with distinct shell shapes and neck lengths, reflecting local environments. These reptiles became symbolic of island adaptation and long-lived evolution. The tortoises remain among the best-known animals associated with the Galápagos.
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