Researchers say that the giant tortoises on San Cristóbal Island are a new species. They say the earlier name given to the living animals describes tortoises that completely disappeared years ago.
Scientist Report New Tortoise Species on Galapagos Islands
![A tortoise, previously identified as Chelonoidis chathamensis and which corresponds genetically to a different species according to a study by scientists of the Galapagos National Park, is pictured on the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuado](https://gdb.voanews.com/093e0000-0a00-0242-909f-08da06b1425a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A tortoise, previously identified as Chelonoidis chathamensis and which corresponds genetically to a different species according to a study by scientists of the Galapagos National Park, is pictured on the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuado
![A tortoise, previously identified as Chelonoidis chathamensis and which corresponds genetically to a different species according to a study by scientists of the Galapagos National Park, is pictured on the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuado](https://gdb.voanews.com/093e0000-0a00-0242-6c35-08da06b1403f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A tortoise, previously identified as Chelonoidis chathamensis and which corresponds genetically to a different species according to a study by scientists of the Galapagos National Park, is pictured on the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuado
![A tortoise, previously identified as Chelonoidis chathamensis and which corresponds genetically to a different species according to a study by scientists of the Galapagos National Park, is pictured on the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuado](https://gdb.voanews.com/023d0000-0aff-0242-3e30-08da06b1403d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A tortoise, previously identified as Chelonoidis chathamensis and which corresponds genetically to a different species according to a study by scientists of the Galapagos National Park, is pictured on the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuado
![Tortoises, previously identified as Chelonoidis chathamensis and which correspond genetically to a different species according to a study by scientists of the Galapagos National Park, are pictured on the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador](https://gdb.voanews.com/025b0000-0aff-0242-8a9b-08da06b1403c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Tortoises, previously identified as Chelonoidis chathamensis and which correspond genetically to a different species according to a study by scientists of the Galapagos National Park, are pictured on the island of San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador