New volcanological and volatile data provide strong support for the continuous existence of Galapagos Islands over the past 17 million years

The first systematic rock sampling of volcanoes along the Galaapagos hotspot tracks (the aseismic Cocos, Carnegie, Malpelo and Coiba ridges and adjacent seamounts) in the area between the Galaapagos Islands and Central and South America was carried out on R/V Sonne cruise 144-3. Guyot-shaped seamounts, paleo-beach or intertidal wave-cut platform deposits, the structure and texture of volcanic rocks, and low sulfur contents of fresh glasses dredged at these volcanoes imply that ocean islands existed continuously above the Galaapagos hotspot for at least the past 17 million years. These new data significantly extend the time period over which the unique endemic Galaapagos fauna could have evolved, providing a complete solution to the long-standing enigma of the evolution of Galaapagos land and marine iguanas.