“The last known individual of the subspecies was a male named Lonesome George (Spanish: El Solitario Jorge/George), who died on 24 June 2012. In his last years, he was known as the rarest creature in the world. George served as a potent symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos and internationally”. – Wikipedia. (Photo by Rodrigo Buendia/AFP)

Beautiful, strange and occasionally alarming pictures from the shortlist for this year’s Wellcome image awards – which celebrate the very best in science photography and imaging – from an x-ray of a bat to a micrograph of a kidney stone. The exhibition opens on 12 March at three science centres and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Photo: Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Arabidopsis thaliana flower, also commonly known as thale cress. Some of the anthers are open, revealing pollen grains ready for dispersal. Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is widely used as a model organism in molecular and plant biology. Horizontal width of image is 1200 microns. Magnification 100x. (Photo by Stefan Eberhard/Wellcome Images)

A Palestinian protester, dressed as Santa Claus, reacts after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank city of Bethlehem December 23, 2016. (Photo by Mussa Qawasma/Reuters)

Rick Sorenson, owner of the Rio Ramaza Marina, wades in the Sacramento River after securing an old paddlewheel boat on his property as the river makes its way up the levee on Garden Highway in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, January 9, 2017. (Photo by Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP Photo)

A mural signed by “TV Boy” and depicting Pope Francis and U.S. President Donald Trump kissing, is seen on a wall in downtown Rome, Italy on May 11, 2017. (Photo by Tony Gentile/Reuters)

Eva Longoria Farmer Visits "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" at Rockefeller Center on November 24, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/NBC/Getty Images for "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon")

A drunk student is sick on the street watched by a police officer following a night of heavy drinking during freshers week in United Kingdom on November 28, 2007. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Alamy Stock Photo)

Drag queen Courtney Act (real name Shane Jenek) attends the Celebrity Big Brother male contestants launch night at Elstree Studios on January 5, 2018 in Borehamwood, England. The drag queen was left over-exposed on last show after her outfit apparently fell off. (Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage)