All four species of giraffe have distinctive skulls

Dec. 30 () –

A study of the morphology of the skull of giraffes has confirmed the discovery a few years ago by genetic analysis that There are four different species of giraffe.

With only 117,000 giraffes left in the wild in Africa, these findings are vital and highlight the importance of finally shedding light on the silent extinction of these gentle giants, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundationwho led the study.

The taxonomy and evolution of giraffes have been debated extensively and different theories have emerged; However, groundbreaking genomic research by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation itself, the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center and other partners revealed the distinction of four species almost a decade ago, namely, the Masai, the northern, reticulated and southern giraffe.

While there were theories about differences in the appearance of different giraffe species, no studies had looked at this systematically. To understand more, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation embarked on a gigantic collaborative research project involving key collaborators from the University of Cape Town, the Autonomous University of Madrid, several European universities and many African government partners.

Professor Anusuya Chinsamy from the University of Cape Town and Professor Jesús Marugán-Lobón from the Autonomous University of Madrid highlight in a statement that “this study is a fantastic example of successful interdisciplinary collaboration in science that has made an important contribution to giraffe conservation and will hopefully go a long way to saving these iconic animals in Africa.”

3D SCAN OF MORE THAN 500 SKULLS

This latest cutting-edge study assembled the largest known data set for any medium to large-sized wildlife by 3D scanning 515 giraffe skulls from African national parks, game farms, taxidermists and museum collections around the world. . Using 3D geometric morphometric analyses, it was naturally no surprise that the study showed clear differences between male and female giraffe skulls. However, It was quite unexpected that the results confirmed the existence of four different species of giraffeconsistent with previous genetic analyses: The four genetically distinct giraffe species also have distinct cranial morphologies, largely related to their ossicones (horn-like bony structures on their skulls).

Dr. Nikolaos Kargopoulos, lead author and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, traveled the world to 3D scan giraffe skulls and comments: “The fact that there are four distinct species of giraffes, some of which remain in a worryingly low wild state, “has clear implications for its conservation and highlights the importance of using science to inform decisions critical to biodiversity conservation.”