That Long Neck

Tortoises occurring on the well-watered islands, with short, cropped vegetation had gently curved front edges to their shell, like our friend Hugo... more

by Miroslava Jurcik

Title

That Long Neck

Artist

Miroslava Jurcik

Medium

Photograph

Description

Tortoises occurring on the well-watered islands, with short, cropped vegetation had gently curved front edges to their shell, like our friend Hugo in the picture.
Tortoises occurring on more arid islands had to stretch their necks to reach branches of cactus and other vegetation. Consequently, these later individuals had longer necks and a high peak to the front edges of their shells, which enabled them to stretch their heads almost vertically.
Observations such as these were the foundations for the theory of evolution, which suggests that species were not fixed for ever but changed with time and thereby contribute to the immense diversity of life.
You can find the picture in Australian Reptile Park collection !

Uploaded

September 22nd, 2017