Famed giant tortoise has died

NBC News — The famed giant tortoise known as Lonesome George has died. Lonesome George was believed to be the last living member of his species of tortoise. During his life he was an ambassador of sorts for the Galapagos Islands coast whose unique bio-diversity inspired Charles Darwin's ideas on evolution.

George's exact age was not known but scientists believed he was about 100 years old, not especially old for giant tortoises, who can live well over a century. He lived at a tortoise breeding center in the Galapagos. Various mates had been provided for Lonesome George after he was found in 1972 in what proved unsuccessful attempts to keep his subspecies alive.