Few would deny that the Galápagos Islands are a special place, like nowhere else on earth. They’ve earned that reputation from a flora and fauna that are downright peculiar—almost other worldly—compared to related species elsewhere. You’ve heard, for example, of the marine iguana, “that strangest anomaly of outlandish nature:” the only lizard that swims in the ocean to forage for food (quote from Melville 1854).1 But did you know that the marine iguana’s skeleton sometimes shrinks and later regrows? A skeleton with the ability to shrink and regrow was unknown until researchers confirmed it in this Galápagos species. I’m sure you’ve also heard of the islands’ giant tortoises, and perhaps that each big volcano on the islands has its own tortoise species, except for one that had no tortoise and one that has two. But did you know that those giant lumbering tortoises are crucial for many other local organisms, including the world’s only tropical albatross on the one island where they breed? Have you also heard of the beautifully odd daisies of Galápagos? The 15 species of the genus Scalesia are my personal favorite, all unique to Galápagos. These plants are members of the same family as all daisies, Asteraceae. They have flowers with tell-tale similarities to daisies everywhere. But four species of these daisies are giants, forming full-blown forests in Galápagos, with canopies towering up to 20 meters (65 feet) above ground. Imagine! As a visitor to Galápagos, you can walk in a forest of daisies. Your friends at home will think you are telling a tall tale. Amazingly, like so much in Galápagos, they are real and really different.

Inglés