Melbourne - One of Charles Darwin's extinct giant Galapagos tortoises could soon be bred back to life - thanks to scientists who claim to have discovered a living species that shares its DNA.

An international team, led by Macquarie University, has found that a species on Volcano Wolf on Isabela island actually contains the DNA of an extinct one from the island of Floreana.

According to lead scientist Dr Luciano Beheregaray, if more of these mixed individuals are found, a captive breeding programme could help in restoring the species, Geochelone elephantosis, back to life.

In fact, in their study, the team studied the genetics of Galapagos tortoises using samples from living animals and museum specimens - the results are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

G. Elephantosis, the Floreana species, is one of four giant tortoise species that have disappeared over the past 150 years.

Even Charles Darwin, who visited Floreana in 1835, observed the shrinking number of tortoises from that island. Fifteen years later, the species had vanished from Floreana. Dr Beheregaray, who is currently on sabbatical in Canada, said an expedition to Volcano Wolf was planned for December 2008.