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The first islands formed here at least 8 million and possibly up to 90 million years ago. [19] While the older islands have disappeared below the sea as they moved away from the mantle plume, the youngest islands, Isabela and Fernandina, are still being formed. In April 2009, lava from the volcanic island Fernandina started flowing both towards ...
The Galápagos Islands are home to a remarkable number of endemic species. The stark rocky islands (many with few plants) made it necessary for many species to adapt to survive and by doing so evolved into new species. It was after visiting the Galápagos and studying the wildlife that a young Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution. [2]
Islands such as Isabela Island contained cold and nutrient-rich waters that provided abundant food, ensuring the survival and reproduction of penguins. [10] Over millions of years, the penguins underwent adaptations, developing unique features that enabled their existence and allowed them to thrive under such an ecological niche. [ 10 ]
This is a list of animals that live in the Galápagos Islands. The fauna of the Galápagos Islands include a total of 9,000 confirmed species. Of them, none have been introduced by humans, and seventeen are endemic. [citation needed] Due to amphibians intolerance of saltwater, no amphibians naturally occur on the Galapagos Islands.
The waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata), also known as Galapagos albatross, [4] is one of three species of the family Diomedeidae that occur in the tropics. When they forage, they follow a straight path to a single site off the coast of Peru , about 1,000 km (620 mi) to the east.
The Galápagos Islands are located off the west coast of South America straddling the equator. The Galápagos are located at the confluence of several currents including the cold Humboldt Current traveling north from South America and the Panama Current traveling south from Central America make the islands cooler and provide the perfect environment for the unique mix of wildlife that inhabits ...
Captive Galapagos tortoises can live up to 177 years. [4] For example, a captive individual, Harriet, lived for at least 175 years. Spanish explorers, who discovered the islands in the 16th century, named them after the Spanish galápago, meaning "tortoise". [5] Galápagos tortoises are native to seven of the Galápagos Islands.
The Galápagos Islands have now changed and has been an area of rapid urbanization. [7] These changes have caused an impact to the life on the island. Since the 1990s, Galápagos tourism has increased by 9.4% per year and resident populations have increased by about 6.4% per year. [ 8 ]