According to scientists, there are millions of organisms that have yet to be discovered. While many newly discovered organisms are insects, other organisms such as mammals, reptiles and birds are more rarely discovered. But, where do these undiscovered organisms live? Most of these unknown organisms may live at the bottom of ocean trenches or in remote parts of the world that have not been explored yet; however, can undiscovered organisms live among existing organisms that scientists have simply overlooked? Well simply, yes.
Map of Galapagos Island
Source: Storpilot (Wikimedia Common)
The Galapagos Islands are a collection of islands that is home to many species of birds, land animals and sea creatures, most notably the finches that Charles Darwin observed. Additionally, the Santa Cruz Island, part of the Galapagos Islands, is home to two tortoise populations that live on the east (Cerro Fatal) and west (Reserva) ends of the island. For many years, scientists believed that the two populations were from the same tortoise species, but recent studies show that they are two distinct tortoise species. This is exciting because as previously stated, new species of organisms, other than insects, are rare; but when new species are discovered, a lot of new information can be gained from studying the unknown organism.
Tortoise
Source: Chad Sparkes (Flickr Commons)
Now, what are tortoises and how are they different from turtles? The definition for what constitutes a tortoise from a turtle differs depending on the country. Turtles and tortoises are a part of the Testudines order. In America, turtles are members of the order Testudines that live in freshwater and marine environments primarily. On the other hand, tortoises, by definition, live exclusively on land. Some morphological differences are that turtles have a streamlined shell and webbed feet to navigate marine environments, while tortoises have an arched shell and clubbed feet to help them survive on land.
Turtle
Source: Michael Menefee (Flickr Commons)
In their study, Nikos Poulakakis, Danielle L. Edwards and their team tested and compared the genes of the two tortoise populations located on the Eastern and Western parts of Santa Cruz Island that are believed to be one species, Chelonoidis porteri. To their surprise, the analysis revealed the two populations to be distinct from one another, thus creating a new species of tortoise for the Cerro Fatal tortoises, C. donfaustoi. Although many of the differences between the two species of tortoises are contained in DNA, the Reserva tortoises are on average, larger in body size, shell size and head opening than the Cerro Fatal tortoise.
As a result, new organisms can be found in many different places. Even organisms that were once believed to be a member of an existing species can become a new species as our technology and knowledge of different species increases. Who knows what new organism people will discover next?
Adrian Li
