What factor caused the giraffe to evolve in this way?

In the case of giraffes, times of drought and arid conditions give an advantage to those animals that can out-compete others by reaching the higher, untouched leaves. They form the ancestral stock of the animals that evolve into giraffes.

What did giraffe evolve?

Some scientists have long presumed today’s giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis, right), which includes a handful of subspecies scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, evolved from an animal that looked like its close cousin the okapi (Okapia johnstoni, left), which lives in the tropical forests of central Africa.

Why did giraffes neck evolve?

The standard hypothesis, which is an extension of the argument Darwin outlined in 1872, is that competition for food drove the evolution of elongated necks. Giraffes can feed at a variety of levels, and this ability to reach high during times of tough competition certainly provides them with an advantage.

How does long neck of giraffe help in eating?

Since these shorter creatures pick over food at a lower level, giraffes’ necks allow them to reach food and nutrients that others cannot. This becomes especially important for survival in habitats where food can become scarce and droughts are fairly common.

Do giraffes have a purpose?

Why are giraffes important? Giraffe’s are vital to keeping ecosystems in balance. They eat the browse that others cannot reach, which promotes growth of forage and opens up areas for themselves and other smaller browsers to make use of.

How long are giraffes pregnant?

Northern giraffe: 15 months
Giraffe/Gestation period

Mums are pregnant for a long time While carrying a baby for nine months may seem like long enough for some human mothers, spare a thought for giraffes who have gestation periods of 15 months!

Why are giraffe tongues purple?

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to be licked by a giraffe, you’ll notice that their 50cm-long tongues can appear purple, bluish or almost black in colour. This is due to the density of dark ‘melanin’ colour pigments in them.

Did giraffes evolve from their earliest ancestors?

The evolution that giraffes have had since their earliest ancestors to the actual specimens is fascinating. What animals share genetic code with them? Was their neck part of an evolutive process?

Why do giraffes have such high necks?

A modern genetic version of the idea suggests natural selection for better height and reach was at play. But not all giraffes favour high foliage for grazing. The other camp believes that the neck is sex-selected. Male giraffes compete for females by whacking each other with their necks, or ” necking “.

How many vertebrae does a giraffe have?

At up to 5.8 metres tall (19 feet), giraffes are the tallest animal on land, thanks to their unusually long necks. But although their necks can measure up to 1.8 metres (6 feet) alone, they have, like most mammals, just seven neck vertebrae. Fossil evidence shows that, once upon a time, giraffes had much shorter necks.

Why do giraffes have horns on their heads?

Fossils of these species such as the Giraffokeryx, has short necks, horns on one side of the head and behind. By their placement has suggested the possibility that the males wrestled with lateral head movements and not with the long neck like the current giraffes.