[AceRay]

The world's last Pinta Island tortoise, Lonesome George, died last night due to to unknown causes.

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/...toise-dies?lite
http://www.3news.co.nz/Giant-tortoise-Lone...23/Default.aspx

QUOTE

The giant tortoise Lonesome George, whose failed efforts to produce offspring made him a symbol of disappearing species, has been found dead, officials at the Galapagos National Park announced. Lonesome George was believed to be the last living member of the Pinta island subspecies and had become an ambassador of sorts for the islands off Ecuador's coast whose unique flora and fauna helped inspire Charles Darwin's ideas on evolution. The tortoise's age was not known, but scientists believed he was about 100-years-old. That is not especially old for giant tortoises, who can live well over a century. Scientists had expected him to live another few decades at least.

I think this is pretty sad, to see the last of a species die, but I think it was inevitable with only one left.

[codyr783]

At the rate of scientific progress we have been making, we should be able to clone him along with other types of extinct species in the near future.

[gta3kuruma]

QUOTE (AceRay @ Monday, Jun 25 2012, 21:32)

but I think it was inevitable with only one left.

really? Do ya? I don't know about that.

[ToniForelli]

And then we will clone more and more of extinct animals!

[Original Light]

Who's the little guy next to him? Another type of turtle?

But man, that's sad.
I wonder if they could take the DNA and clone it? But then it wouldn't have an opposite sex, making it useless.

[Sup3rman]

Mating him failed so many times... Eggs didn't hatch.
Sad thing also because i just read about this species. I was quite interested in it especially because he was the last one of the species. Other of his kind were found dead. As i read somewhere about this news, George was actually unable to move in his last years or so...sad end.

[El_Diablo]

QUOTE (AceRay @ Monday, Jun 25 2012, 13:32)

I think it was inevitable with only one left.

more genius words have never been spoken

[AlexGTAGamer]

Sad news indeed.

Well that's another subspecies to add to the increasing extinction list.

But as has already been mentioned, sooner or later scientists will begin to clone certain animals so this may not be the last we have seen of the Pinta Island giant tortoises.

[Adler]

He was so young...

[Gareth Croke]

Apparently the latest news from the Galapagos Island Police is that George was killed. They are looking for a Male about 5'6" or 6'8" dark curly hair, mustache, wearing red dungarees and a blue undershirt, distinctive red hat and possibly from European descent.

Galapagos Island Police have an outdated CCTV system, but have released a still from the footage of when the incident occurred.

The Police are seeking any help they can get to bring the suspect in for questioning.

Link to still image

[Triple Penetration]

I can't believe such people exist! Does Galapagos Island have death sentence as a punishment? I suppose that's what happen to people who destroy almost extinct species, they get at least life sentence.

I mean, this guy has been doing such cruel things since '85 or '86. He has been suspected as an shroom addict, too.

[Mockage]

The guy who killed the poor fella must have wanted to been famous. People will do crazy things like that these days for a long moment of fame.

Speaking of animal cloning, I hear they're cloning a wooly mammoth. It's expected to be hatched in 2014. Pretty interesting stuff.

[SIKKS66]

HUMANITY! f*ck YEAH!

...but in seriousness, that sucks.

[Robinski]

Well, he ain't lonesome no more.

QUOTE (Mockage @ Monday, Jun 25 2012, 22:20)

Speaking of animal cloning, I hear they're cloning a wooly mammoth. It's expected to be hatched in 2014. Pretty interesting stuff.

Something has gone terribly wrong here already.

[Tchuck]

QUOTE (Robinski @ Monday, Jun 25 2012, 14:38)

Well, he ain't lonesome no more. QUOTE (Mockage @ Monday, Jun 25 2012, 22:20) Speaking of animal cloning, I hear they're cloning a wooly mammoth. It's expected to be hatched in 2014. Pretty interesting stuff. Something has gone terribly wrong here already.

I wonder if they'll ever sell those Mammoth eggs commercially. I bet you could make some mean Eggs Benedict with them!

On topic, it's sad but it's natural. Species have been extinguished since long before humans started living in caves.

[Mockage]

QUOTE (Tchuck @ Monday, Jun 25 2012, 19:24)

QUOTE (Robinski @ Monday, Jun 25 2012, 14:38) Well, he ain't lonesome no more. QUOTE (Mockage @ Monday, Jun 25 2012, 22:20) Speaking of animal cloning, I hear they're cloning a wooly mammoth. It's expected to be hatched in 2014. Pretty interesting stuff. Something has gone terribly wrong here already. I bet you could make some mean Eggs Benedict with them! On topic, it's sad but it's natural. Species have been extinguished since long before humans started living in caves.

Sooner or later the Wooly Mammoth will put chickens to shame in terms of morning breakfast.

Jokes aside though (for those who don't know about this cloning), here's the news article about it: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/14/the-wo...tinct-creature/

[finn4life]

It is slightly sad i suppose, i would like to know the cause of the extinction, if it was humans fault (Which is likely) then i once again congratulate our race on reducing genetic diversity and decreasing the chance of other species surviving after we desolate the planet.

Well if not, too bad i suppose, obviously wasn't suited to live on the earth.

[Oakshaft]

They should store DNA samples and put them with all the others they have stored so that one day he can be brought back.

[zoo3891]

QUOTE

Who's the little guy next to him? Another type of turtle?

If I recall correctly, they were trying to mate him with tortoises of similar species for the last 20+ years. I think they went extinct in the first place because they were being made into turtle soup.

QUOTE

The guy who killed the poor fella must have wanted to been famous. People will do crazy things like that these days for a long moment of fame.

The police just released a report that the killer is a suspect in multiple, maybe even thousands of turtle homicide related incidents. They say the killer was known for stomping them to death, some he even burned.

While we're on the topic of extinct animals, the Javan rhinoceros population is suspected to be down to ~40, they live in one small area of land on the tip of an Indonesian island.

[jackass2009]

It sucks that he died, but that's life. Species die, species evolve, et cetera.