Not only are giraffes the tallest animals in the world, they are also one of the most recognizable. Their characteristic long necks quickly captivate any audience. That being said, it is not commonly known that there are thought to be nine subspecies of Giraffa camelopardalis. In fact, there is increasing evidence that these could potentially be separate species in their own right. This paper will discuss where giraffes fit in the Tree of Life and identify the giraffe’s closest relatives, differentiate and analyze the similarities and differences between the nine subspecies, and, finally, explore any debate revolving around the phylogeny of the subspecies.
The full scientific classification of the giraffe is Animalia Chordata Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Pecora Giraffidea Giraffa camelopardalis. There were at one time seven species in the genus Giraffa but today only one is still extant: camelopardalis, (Mitchell and Skinner, 2010). Because the modern giraffe does not have any other extant species within its genus, it is helpful to look the phylogenetic tree from a broader perspective. Going beyond the level of genus, the giraffe belong to the family Giraffidea. This family, though, is very small, as it only contains two different extant genera: Giraffa and Okapia, (Lerner and Lerner, 2008) Okapia, or the okapi, represents the closest living relative to the giraffe, and the two are very similar both morphologically and molecularly. The two animals can trace their ancestry back from the “gelocid ancestral assemblage” 20-25 million years to the family Palaeomeridae. From the palaeomerycids arose the Antilocaprinae from the subfamily Dromomerycinae, and two subfamilies of giraffids, the Climacoceratidae and Canthumerycidae. (...
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As time progress on the phylogeny, Australopithecus africanus and Australopithecus afarensis were considered to be direct descendants of Proconsul heseloni. However it was decided that A. afarensis branched off and became extinct with no other descendants. Reasons for branching A. africanus and A. afarensis include the data taken from the brain vs....
Works Cited "Animal Planet" Animal Planet. N.p., n.d. Web. The Web. The Web. 09 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.
The species A. afarensis is one of the better known australopithecines, with regards to the number of samples attributed to the species. From speculations about their close relatives, the gorilla and chimpanzee, A. afarensis’ probable social structure can be presumed. The species was named by Johanson and Taieb in 1973. This discovery of a skeleton lead to a heated debate over the validity of the species. The species eventually was accepted by most researchers as a new species of australopithecine and a likely candidate for a human ancestor.
... al., eds (2009) (PDF). Primates in Peril: The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates 2008–2010. Illustrated by S.D. Nash. Arlington, VA.: IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group (PSG), International Primatological Society (IPS), and Conservation International (CI). pp. 1–92. ISBN 978-1-934151-34-1.
In relation to the findings, two specific species of primates have been found to have coexisted separately in particular locations explored in Kenya. The way they are separated from each other specifically notes how these groups of primates were able to protect themselves from cross breeding with each other. The first specie, Praeanthropus dimorphicus, is notably a predator which could be assumed to have fed on animals surrounding the area. Based on the fossils found on top of the fossils of this specie, these primates could be assumed to have fed on wildebeests ...
In conclusion, giraffes depend on the food they consume and the water they drink to get energy. They use this energy for movement and growth. Once they are grown and reach maturity, they can reproduce one calf as early as four years old. Giraffes use their camouflage and height advantage for protection. Also, they rely on their heart, tongue, legs, neck, horns, and senses to help them adapt. As all creatures that are part of the Animal Kingdom, all of these five abilities help giraffes to survive in their
The American cheetah, who once roamed the North American plains, is thought to have become extinct around 10,000 years ago (Blue Line, N.D.). In the 1970’s the fossils were found in a cave in Wyoming and scientists originally hypothesized that the species was from the cougar lineage. It was proven to be a cheetah because of its lighter body and nasal cavities. Scientists also believed that they had gone extinct due to climate change or loss of its prey. This land mammal may have been quite fast but could not reach the 65-mile-per-hour range of the South African cheetah. This predator is more closely related to modern pumas and cougars than to the African cheetah. Genetic studies reveal that the American cheetahs closest relatives are the mountain
1. A giraffe’s habitat consists mainly of savanna and dry open woodland. They prefer to live in warm areas with tall grass to run wild and move freely. They are considered herbivores so they eat leaves off of trees, twigs, shrubs, and mimosa(Australian tree with flowers). A majority of giraffe’s easily adapt to environments that meet their needs. These animals don’t necessarily have predators because of their size. It’s very rare that a large lion pack takes one down. Studies show that they don’t have any animals as their prey.
All the Animals are bewildered as they try to figure out what caused this. Finally the giraffes step forward admit to their part in the dilemma and take they blame. The animals are furious, but being sensible put aside their anger and decide to deal with the situation on hand. All the ...
The okapi (pronounced oh-COP-ee) is a beautiful and unusual animal. With its white-and-black striped hindquarters and front legs, it looks like it must be related to zebras! But take a look at an okapi’s head, and you’ll notice a resemblance to giraffes. The okapi is indeed the only living relative of the giraffe. Like a giraffe, the okapi has very large, upright ears, which catch even slight sounds, helping the animal avoid trouble. The okapi also has a long, dark, prehensile tongue, just like a giraffe’s, to help it strip the buds and young leaves from the understory brush of its rain forest
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Giraffes are some of the biggest animals in the world they can grow up to 18 ft tall!
Sikes, Roberts. and William L. Gannon. "Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research." Journal of Mammalogy 92.1 (Feb. 2011): 235-253. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
The hippopotamus is a part of the Animalia kingdom and from that it branches into being a part of the phylum, Chordata. They fall into the Mammalia class which flows into the order of Artiodactyla. The hippopotamus belongs to the Hippopotamidea family. The genus they belong to is the Hippopotamus. The species they belong to is H. Amphibious. (Burnie, David & Don E. Wilson, 2011) The pygmy hippopotamus, while it belongs to the same family, falls into a different genus than the common hippopotamus. While the pygmy hippopotamus has a rounded skeleton adapted for spending a majority of the time on land, the common hippopotamus has a spine parallel to the ground which is adapted to spending more time in the water. Also the feet of the common hippopotamus are wider, with more webbing than the pygmy hippopotamus whose feet are narrower for walking on the forest floor. Both the pygmy and common hippopotamus have common traits in their skin that requires a majority of their time to be spent in water to prevent drying and cracking. (“Pygmy Hippopotamus”)
Scientists have discovered many interesting facts about giraffes. One fact is that giraffes may have existed during the Quaternary period. This period is the division of geologic time in the Cenozoic period. Evidence has been found that the Sahara was occupied by giraffes and other land-grazing animals, during the later part of this time period. Scientists have found fossils and many other evidence that as soon as the dinosaurs disappeared, mammals like the giraffe appeared.