Heritage sites, Archaeological discoveries, History of Archaeology

Galapagos Islands

Location

San Cristobal

Country

Ecuador

Year of Research

1978

Culture

Lies on the Pacific Ocean and it is some 1,000 km from the South American continent.These 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been known as a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’.
Situated at the confluence of three ocean currents.The Galápagos are a ‘melting pot’ of marine species.
Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity shows the processes that formed the islands.
These processes, along with the extreme isolation of the islands develop unusual animal life like the land iguana, the giant tortoise and the many types of finch – that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit in 1835.