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GALAPAGOS ISLANDS HOSTED WORLD SUMMIT ON EVOLUTION II

Ecuador's Galapagos Islands hosted last August some 150 scientists and researchers from different countries around the world who participated in the Second World Summit on Evolution.

The event took place on the campus of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in San Cristobal Island, where the Galapagos Academic Institute for Arts and Sciences (GAIAS) sponsored this meeting focused on new discoveries and advances the theory of evolution and diversity of life.

The occasion also served the First Meeting of the Iberoamerican Society of Cell Biology (SIBE) aimed at establishing a bridge of communication between researchers in Europe and South America. This summit was held in commemoration of the bicentennial of the birth of Charles Darwin, whose ideas and approaches resulting from studies in the islands were reflected in his work "The Origin of Species," which led many scientific studies in later years. As more information has been obtained about the flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands becomes clearer that are truly a living laboratory of evolution, referring the call of the meeting that took place at the Convention Center in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the archipelago.

Studies related to evolutionary biology have been key to the design of new strategies for conservation and for the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

The summit was attended by academics from renowned universities of USA, England, Israel, Canada, Spain, Mexico and Argentina, and five national experts, professors from the University of San Francisco.

In 2005 was held in the capital of this archipelago, located 50 kilometers thousand off the coast of Ecuador, the first Summit of Evolution with the collaboration of hundreds of renowned international scientists.

Galapagos is a province of Ecuador and is comprised of 13 large volcanic islands, six smaller islands and 107 rocks and islets are distributed around the earth line of Ecuador
It is estimated that the formation of the first island took place over five million years, as a result of tectonic activity.

The latest, called Isabela and Fernandina, are still in formation, having recorded the most recent volcanic eruption in the year 2009.

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