These volcanic islands are relatively new in the grand scheme of things (Isabela and Fernandina, the biggest islands, are said to be less than one million years old). How old are the Galapagos Islands? Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law in your country. Between.7 - 4.2 million years How does a species become endemic? The organism confined to the limited space in which they evolved and being unable to lave due to this adaptation. Geologically, the Galapagos Islands are quite young, probably no more than five million years old. Not unlike Hawaii, the islands are located over an area of particularly hot mantle that in essence burns through earth's crust, creating volcanic activity. Some of the westernmost islands, which are the most volcanically active, may only be hundreds of thousands of years old and are still being formed today. The Galapagos are a marvel of geological activity. Galapagos Conservancy, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with EIN Tax ID # 13-3281486. A geologic study published in 1992 suggested that underwater seamounts near the Galapagos had formed islands between 5,000,000 and 9,000,000 years ago; this helped explain the great amount of endemic speciation, which many biologists believe could not have occurred in a lesser amount of time. Initially formed between 3 million and 5 million years ago, the islands are "young" in geologic time. Perhaps Galapagos' most prevalent feature is its harsh and dynamic volcanic landscape.