endemic species exist in just one geographic location in the world. their ancestors arrive in a region naturally and then adapt to that location to the point that they change and can no longer breed with organisms from their ancestral species, creating an entirely separate species, explained vanessa gallo, expedition leader aboard lindblad expedition\u2019s national geographic islander in the gal\u00e1pagos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

charles darwin described this kind of process in his theory of evolution, which he developed after traveling around the world and collecting specimens from numerous locations, including, notably, the gal\u00e1pagos islands, home to the well-known darwin finches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cthe natural history of this archipelago is very remarkable: it seems to be a little world within itself; the greater number of its inhabitants, both vegetable and animal, being found nowhere else,\u201d darwin wrote about the islands in \u201cvoyages of the adventure and beagle<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

today, the gal\u00e1pagos islands are home to numerous endemic species. almost all of the reptiles found in gal\u00e1pagos and about 40% of the land birds are endemic to the region, gallo said. the islands are also home to endemic plant species, endemic mammals and endemic marine birds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cthe lava lizards are endemic, the giant tortoises are endemic, the marine iguanas are endemic, the land iguanas are endemic,\u201d gallo said, listing just some of the species unique to the gal\u00e1pagos islands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n