Engaged to a bunch of jolly lads
The Galapagos Islands are often referred to as the "showcase of evolution", because they have been a laboratory for biologists for the study of evolution. For Charles Darwin (1809-1882), author of "The Origin of Species", the trip to the archipelago confirmed his rejection of creationism.
His observations reinforced his thesis that a living organism adjusts to a specific environment and possesses the ability to modify itself progressively. Those that fail are doomed, while those that succeed evolve and survive. Darwin wrote: "The survival of the fittest". Natural selection is the means by which organisms best adapt to their environment. Among the isolated populations of the Galapagos Islands, selective pressures from one island to the next lead to divergent evolution, resulting in unique species and increased species diversity.
Today, Isabela, which has largely remained an intact ecosystem, provides a lush habitat for exceptional wildlife. Intensive programmes to eradicate imported predatory species that have returned to the wild (goats, rabbits, dogs, etc.) have been successfully carried out.
More than 45 species of birds, 42 reptiles, 15 mammals and more than 75 fish are considered endemic and live there harmoniously. The avifauna is unique and diverse, while the reptiles - iguanas, lava lizards, giant tortoises and others - have long led people to believe that the island, like the rest of the archipelago, was home to antediluvian fauna.
Given its vast size and the isolation of its animal populations, five endemic breeds of land tortoise have been identified, each located on one of the island's volcanoes.
In terms of vegetation, distinct and highly contrasting zones are identified according to altitude and the orientation of the slopes in relation to the trade winds, each zone offering a diversity of plant species and a specific landscape.
Inland, salt lagoons provide an ideal habitat for flamingos, whose menu consists of tiny crustaceans living in the mud. On its shores, sea lions are the largest mammals.
It is thought that the penguins that settled here, whose wings evolved into flippers, followed the Humboldt Current during the last ice age. Blue-footed boobies live in colonies and fish in groups. During mating season, the male struts endlessly in front of the female, and the more colourful his legs, the more charm he exerts.
