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99-581: See taxonomy The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus Giraffa . It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth . Traditionally, giraffes have been thought of as one species , Giraffa camelopardalis , with nine subspecies . Most recently, researchers proposed dividing them into four extant species due to new research into their mitochondrial and nuclear DNA , and individual species can be distinguished by their fur coat patterns. Seven other extinct species of Giraffa are known from

198-409: A 2024 study found that, while males have thicker necks, females actually have proportionally longer ones, which is likely because of their greater need to find more food to sustain themselves and their dependent young. It has also been proposed that the neck serves to give the animal greater vigilance. Fauna of Africa Whereas the earliest traces of life in fossil record of Africa date back to

297-410: A difficult time giving birth to young with the same neck proportions as adults. The giraffe's head and neck are held up by large muscles and a nuchal ligament , which are anchored by long thoracic vertebrae spines, giving them a hump. The giraffe's neck vertebrae have ball and socket joints . The point of articulation between the cervical and thoracic vertebrae of giraffes is shifted to lie between

396-463: A disproportionate lengthening of the cervical vertebrae , not from the addition of more vertebrae. Each cervical vertebra is over 28 cm (11 in) long. They comprise 52–54 per cent of the length of the giraffe's vertebral column , compared with the 27–33 percent typical of similar large ungulates, including the giraffe's closest living relative, the okapi . This elongation largely takes place after birth, perhaps because giraffe mothers would have

495-488: A dry savannah emerged across eastern and northern Africa and western India. Some researchers have hypothesised that this new habitat, coupled with a different diet, including acacia species, may have exposed giraffe ancestors to toxins that caused higher mutation rates and a higher rate of evolution. The coat patterns of modern giraffes may also have coincided with these habitat changes. Asian giraffes are hypothesised to have had more okapi-like colourations. The giraffe genome

594-461: A food shortage. Another theory, the sexual selection hypothesis, proposes that long necks evolved as a secondary sexual characteristic , giving males an advantage in "necking" contests (see below) to establish dominance and obtain access to sexually receptive females. In support of this theory, some studies have stated that necks are longer and heavier for males than females of the same age, and that males do not employ other forms of combat. However,

693-1352: A fraction of West Africa, but harbours 322 of West Africa's fish species, with 247 being restricted to this area and 129 being restricted to even smaller ranges. The central river's fauna comprises 194 fish species, with 119 endemics and only 33 restricted to small areas. The marine diversity is greatest near the Indian Ocean shore with about 2000 species. Characteristic to African fauna are Perciformes ( Lates , tilapias , Dichistiidae , Anabantidae , Mudskippers , Parachanna , Acentrogobius , Croilia , Glossogobius , Hemichromis , Nanochromis , Oligolepis , Oreochromis , Redigobius , Sarotherodon , Stenogobius and others), Gonorhynchiformes ( Kneriidae , Phractolaemidae ), some lungfishes ( Protopterus ), many Characiformes ( Distichodontidae , Hepsetidae , Citharinidae , Alestiidae ), Osteoglossiformes ( African knifefish , Gymnarchidae , Mormyridae , Pantodontidae ), Siluriformes ( Amphiliidae , Anchariidae , Ariidae , Austroglanididae , Clariidae , Claroteidae , Malapteruridae , Mochokidae , Schilbeidae ), Osmeriformes ( Galaxiidae ), Cyprinodontiformes ( Aplocheilidae , Poeciliidae ) and Cypriniformes ( Labeobarbus , Pseudobarbus , Tanakia and others). Endemic to Africa are

792-456: A giraffe's skull. However, as males age, their skulls become heavier and more club-like, helping them become more dominant in combat. The occipital condyles at the bottom of the skull allow the animal to tip its head over 90 degrees and grab food on the branches directly above them with the tongue. With eyes located on the sides of the head, the giraffe has a broad visual field from its great height. Compared to other ungulates , giraffe vision

891-588: A medium-sized, lightly built body. Giraffokeryx appeared 15–12 mya on the Indian subcontinent and resembled an okapi or a small giraffe, and had a longer neck and similar ossicones . Giraffokeryx may have shared a clade with more massively built giraffids like Sivatherium and Bramatherium . Giraffids like Palaeotragus , Shansitherium and Samotherium appeared 14 mya and lived throughout Africa and Eurasia. These animals had broader skulls with reduced frontal cavities. Paleotragus resembled

990-576: A similar aquatic lifestyle. Hippopotamuses appeared in the late Miocene and occupied Africa and Asia—they never got to the Americas. The camels ( Tylopoda ) were, during large parts of the Cenozoic , limited to North America; early forms like Cainotheriidae occupied Europe. Among the North American camels were groups like the stocky, short-legged Merycoidodontidae . They first appeared in

1089-477: A simple stomach that digests food. Thus, they were grouped together as non-ruminants (Porcine). All other even-toed ungulates have molars with a selenodont construction (crescent-shaped cusps) and have the ability to ruminate , which requires regurgitating food and re-chewing it. Differences in stomach construction indicated that rumination evolved independently between tylopods and ruminants ; therefore, tylopods were excluded from Ruminantia . The taxonomy that

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1188-474: A slim build, lanky legs, and a long tail. Their hind legs were much longer than their front legs. The early to middle Eocene saw the emergence of the ancestors of most of today's mammals. Two formerly widespread, but now extinct, families of even-toed ungulates were Entelodontidae and Anthracotheriidae . Entelodonts existed from the middle Eocene to the early Miocene in Eurasia and North America. They had

1287-473: A stocky body with short legs and a massive head, which was characterized by two humps on the lower jaw bone. Anthracotheres had a large, porcine ( pig -like) build, with short legs and an elongated muzzle . This group appeared in the middle Eocene up until the Pliocene , and spread throughout Eurasia, Africa, and North America. Anthracotheres are thought to be the ancestors of hippos, and, likewise, probably led

1386-548: A vast range. South Africa has one of the highest proportions of Lycaenid butterflies (48%) for any region in the world with many species restricted in range. North Africa is in the Palaearctic region and has a different species assemblage. Genera which are species rich in Africa include Charaxes , Acraea , Colotis and Papilio , most notably Papilio antimachus and Papilio zalmoxis . The tribe Liptenini

1485-424: A very flexible body, contributing to their speed by increasing their stride length. Many even-toed ungulates have a relatively large head. The skull is elongated and rather narrow; the frontal bone is enlarged near the back and displaces the parietal bone , which forms only part of the side of the cranium (especially in ruminants). Four families of even-toed ungulates have cranial appendages. These Pecora (with

1584-668: Is endemic to the Afrotropics and includes species rich genera such as Ornipholidotos , Liptenara , Pentila , Baliochila , Hypophytala , Teriomima , Deloneura and Mimacraea . The Miletinae are mostly African, notably Lachnocnema . Other endemic lycaenids include the genus Alaena . Endemic Nymphalidae include Euphaedra , Bebearia , Heteropsis , Precis , Pseudacraea , Bicyclus and Euxanthe . Endemic Pieridae include Pseudopontia paradoxa and Mylothris . Endemic skippers include Sarangesa and Kedestes . The highest species diversity

1683-595: Is around 2.9 billion base pairs in length, compared to the 3.3 billion base pairs of the okapi. Of the proteins in giraffe and okapi genes, 19.4% are identical. The divergence of giraffe and okapi lineages dates to around 11.5 mya. A small group of regulatory genes in the giraffe appears responsible for the animal's height and associated circulatory adaptations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently recognises only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies. Carl Linnaeus originally classified living giraffes as one species in 1758. He gave it

1782-400: Is correlated with calf survival. The skin under the blotches may regulate the animal's body temperature, being sites for complex blood vessel systems and large sweat glands . Spotless or solid-color giraffes are very rare, but have been observed. The fur may give the animal chemical defense, as its parasite repellents give it a characteristic scent. At least 11 main aromatic chemicals are in

1881-468: Is especially rich in Afromontane regions, and there are some endemic families in Africa (e.g. Achatinidae , Chlamydephoridae ) but other tropical families are common too ( Charopidae , Streptaxidae , Cyclophoridae , Subulinidae , Rhytididae ). 156 tardigrade species have been found, and about 8000 species of arachnids . The African millipede Archispirostreptus gigas is one of the largest in

1980-475: Is flexible and hairy to protect against sharp prickles. The upper jaw has a hard palate instead of front teeth. The molars and premolars are wide with low crowns on the surface. The giraffe has an extremely elongated neck, which can be up to 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) in length. Along the neck is a mane made of short, erect hairs. The neck typically rests at an angle of 50–60 degrees, though juveniles are closer to 70 degrees. The long neck results from

2079-549: Is home to numerous songbirds ( pipits , orioles , antpeckers , brubrus , cisticolas , nigritas , olivebacks , pytilias , green-backed twinspot , crimson-wings , seedcrackers , bluebills , firefinches , waxbills , amandavas , quailfinches , munias , weavers , tit-hylia , Amadina , Anthoscopus , Mirafra , Hypargos , Eremomela , Euschistospiza , Erythrocercus , Malimbus , Pitta , Uraeginthus , pied crow , white-necked raven , thick-billed raven , Cape crow and others). The red-billed quelea

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2178-567: Is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , home to 2,040 species 181 of which are endemic. Africa is the richest continent of freshwater fish, with about 3000 species. The East African Great Lakes ( Victoria , Malawi , and Tanganyika ) are the center of biodiversity of many fish, especially cichlids (they harbor more than two-thirds of the estimated 2000 species in the family). The West African coastal rivers region covers only

2277-477: Is leaves, fruits, and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other ground-based herbivores cannot reach. Lions , leopards , spotted hyenas , and African wild dogs may prey upon giraffes. Giraffes live in herds of related females and their offspring or bachelor herds of unrelated adult males but are gregarious and may gather in large groups. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", combat bouts where

2376-430: Is more binocular and the eyes are larger with a greater retinal surface area. Giraffes may see in colour, and their senses of hearing and smell are sharp. The ears are movable. The nostrils are slit-shaped, possibly to withstand blowing sand. The giraffe's tongue is about 45 cm (18 in) long. It is black, perhaps to protect against sunburn, and can grasp foliage and delicately pick off leaves. The upper lip

2475-475: Is more adapted to a squeezing mastication , which is characteristic of omnivores . Camels and ruminants have fewer teeth; there is often a yawning diastema , a designated gap in the teeth where the molars are aligned for crushing plant matter. The incisors are often reduced in ruminants, and are completely absent in the upper jaw . The canines are enlarged and tusk-like in the Suina, and are used for digging in

2574-669: Is one of only two living genera of the family Giraffidae in the order Artiodactyla , the other being the okapi . They are ruminants of the clade Pecora , along with Antilocapridae ( pronghorns ), Cervidae (deer), Bovidae (cattle, antelope, goats and sheep) and Moschidae (musk deer). A 2019 genome study (cladogram below) finds that Giraffidae are a sister taxon to Antilocapridae, with an estimated split of over 20 million years ago. Tragulidae [REDACTED] Antilocapridae [REDACTED] Giraffidae [REDACTED] Cervidae [REDACTED] Bovidae [REDACTED] Moschidae [REDACTED] The family Giraffidae

2673-500: Is relatively short. The skin is mostly gray or tan, and can reach a thickness of 20 mm (0.79 in). The 80–100 cm (31–39 in) long tail ends in a long, dark tuft of hair and is used as a defense against insects. The coat has dark blotches or patches, which can be orange, chestnut , brown, or nearly black, surrounded by light hair, usually white or cream coloured. Male giraffes become darker as they grow old. The coat pattern has been claimed to serve as camouflage in

2772-711: Is restricted to Madagascar . The African list of ungulates is longer than in any other continent. The largest number of modern bovids is found in Africa ( African buffalo , duikers , impala , rhebok , Reduncinae , oryx , dik-dik , klipspringer , oribi , gerenuk , true gazelles , hartebeest , wildebeest , dibatag , eland , Tragelaphus , Hippotragus , Neotragus , Raphicerus , Damaliscus ). Other even-toed ungulates include giraffes , okapis , hippopotamuses , warthogs , giant forest hogs , red river hogs and bushpigs . Odd-toed ungulates are represented by three species of zebras , African wild ass , black and white rhinoceros . The biggest African mammal

2871-450: Is subsumed into G. camelopardalis camelopardalis . G. camelopardalis antiquorum (Kordofan giraffe) G. c. camelopardalis (Nubian giraffe) G. c. peralta (West African giraffe) (no subspecies) G. tippelskirchi tippelskirchi (Masai giraffe sensu stricto ) G. t. thornicrofti (Luangwa or Thornicroft's giraffe) G. giraffa angolensis (Angolan giraffe) G. g. giraffa (South African giraffe) The following table compares

2970-466: Is the African bush elephant , the second largest being its smaller counterpart, the African forest elephant . Four species of pangolins can be found in Africa. African fauna contains 216 species of primates . Four species of great apes ( Hominidae ) are endemic to Africa: both species of gorilla ( western gorilla , Gorilla gorilla , and eastern gorilla , Gorilla beringei ) and both species of

3069-587: Is the most abundant bird species in the world. Of the 589 species of birds (excluding seabirds) that breed in the Palaearctic (temperate Europe and Asia), 40% spend the winter elsewhere. Of those species that leave for the winter, 98% travel south to Africa. More than 1100 mammal species live in Africa. Africa has three endemic orders of mammals, the Tubulidentata ( aardvarks ), Afrosoricida ( tenrecs and golden moles ), and Macroscelidea ( elephant shrews ). The current mammalian phylogeny recognizes

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3168-708: Is therefore focused on anthracotheres (family Anthracotheriidae); one dating from the Eocene to Miocene was declared to be "hippo-like" upon discovery in the 19th century. A study from 2005 showed that the anthracotheres and hippopotamuses had very similar skulls , but differed in the adaptations of their teeth. It was nevertheless believed that cetaceans and anthracothereres descended from a common ancestor, and that hippopotamuses developed from anthracotheres. A study published in 2015 confirmed this, but also revealed that hippopotamuses were derived from older anthracotherians. The newly introduced genus Epirigenys from Eastern Africa

3267-525: Is thus the sister group of hippos. Linnaeus postulated a close relationship between camels and ruminants as early as the mid-1700s. Henri de Blainville recognized the similar anatomy of the limbs of pigs and hippos, and British zoologist Richard Owen coined the term "even-toed ungulates" and the scientific name "Artiodactyla" in 1848. Internal morphology (mainly the stomach and the molars) were used for classification. Suines (including pigs ) and hippopotamuses have molars with well-developed roots and

3366-464: The Messinian salinity crisis (for example introduction of Murinae , immigrants from southern Asia ) During the early Tertiary , Africa was covered by a vast evergreen forest inhabited by an endemic forest fauna with many types common to southern Asia. In the Pliocene the climate became dry and most of the forest was destroyed, the forest animals taking refuge in the remaining forest islands. At

3465-694: The Old World , exist today only in the Americas . South America was settled by even-toed ungulates only in the Pliocene, after the land bridge at the Isthmus of Panama formed some three million years ago. With only the peccaries, lamoids (or llamas ), and various species of capreoline deer , South America has comparatively fewer artiodactyl families than other continents, except Australia, which has no native species. The classification of artiodactyls

3564-533: The Pleistocene . Some biologists suggest the modern giraffes descended from G. jumae ; others find G. gracilis a more likely candidate. G. jumae was larger and more robust, while G. gracilis was smaller and more slender. The changes from extensive forests to more open habitats , which began 8 mya, are believed to be the main driver for the evolution of giraffes. During this time, tropical plants disappeared and were replaced by arid C4 plants , and

3663-607: The West African crocodile , two species of slender-snouted crocodile , and 1-3 species of dwarf crocodile ) are also present. There live (temporarily or permanently) more than 2600 bird species in Africa (about 1500 of them passerines ). Some 114 of them are threatened species. The Afrotropic has various endemic bird families, including ostriches (Struthionidae), mesites , sunbirds , secretary bird (Sagittariidae), guineafowl (Numididae), and mousebirds (Coliidae). Also, several families of passerines are limited to

3762-475: The binomial name Cervus camelopardalis . Mathurin Jacques Brisson coined the generic name Giraffa in 1762. During the 1900s, various taxonomies with two or three species were proposed. A 2007 study on the genetics of giraffes using mitochondrial DNA suggested at least six lineages could be recognised as species. A 2011 study using detailed analyses of the morphology of giraffes, and application of

3861-523: The buzzards , harriers , Old World vultures , bateleur , Circaetus , Melierax and others. Trogons are represented by one genus ( Apaloderma ). African penguin is the only penguin species. Madagascar was once home to the now extinct elephant birds . Mauritius was once home to the now extinct endemic bird species, the being notably the Dodo bird and also the Mauritius blue pigeon . Africa

3960-461: The fossil record. The giraffe's distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, horn-like ossicones , and spotted coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae , along with its closest extant relative, the okapi . Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands . Their food source

4059-507: The hind legs have a reduction in the number of toes to three. The central axis of the leg is between the third and fourth toe. The first toe is missing in modern artiodactyls, and can only be found in now-extinct genera. The second and fifth toes are adapted differently between species: When camels have only two toes present, the claws are transformed into nails (while both are made of keratin , claws are curved and pointed while nails are flat and dull). These claws consist of three parts:

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4158-537: The order Artiodactyla ( / ˌ ɑːr t i oʊ ˈ d æ k t ɪ l ə / AR -tee-oh- DAK -tih-lə , from Ancient Greek ἄρτιος , ártios  'even' and δάκτυλος , dáktylos  'finger, toe'). Typically, they are ungulates which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes (the third and fourth, often in the form of a hoof ). The other three toes are either present, absent, vestigial , or pointing posteriorly. By contrast, most perissodactyls bear weight on an odd number of

4257-452: The phylogenetic species concept , described eight species of living giraffes. A 2016 study also concluded that living giraffes consist of multiple species. The researchers suggested the existence of four species, which have not exchanged genetic information between each other for 1 to 2 million years. A 2020 study showed that depending on the method chosen, different taxonomic hypotheses recognizing from two to six species can be considered for

4356-1001: The pythonids ( Python ), typhlopids ( Typhlops ) and leptotyphlopids ( Leptotyphlops , Rhinoleptus ). Of the lizards , many species of geckos ( day geckos , Afroedura , Afrogecko , Colopus , Pachydactylus , Hemidactylus , Narudasia , Paroedura , Pristurus , Quedenfeldtia , Rhoptropus , Tropiocolotes , Uroplatus ), Cordylidae , as well as Lacertidae ( Nucras , Lacerta , Mesalina , Acanthodactylus , Pedioplanis ), Agamas , skinks , plated lizards and some monitor lizards are common. There are 12 genera and 58 species of African amphisbaenians (e.g. Chirindia , Zygaspis , Monopeltis , Dalophia ). Several genera of tortoises ( Kinixys , Pelusios , Psammobates , Geochelone , Homopus , Chersina ), turtles ( Pelomedusidae , Cyclanorbis , Cycloderma , Erymnochelys ), and 5-7 species of crocodiles (the Nile crocodile ,

4455-412: The ruminants as the sister group of cetaceans. Subsequent studies established the close relationship between hippopotamuses and cetaceans; these studies were based on casein genes , SINEs , fibrinogen sequences, cytochrome and rRNA sequences, IRBP (and vWF ) gene sequences, adrenergic receptors , and apolipoproteins . In 2001, the fossil limbs of a Pakicetus (amphibioid cetacean

4554-550: The 1590s. The modern English form developed around 1600 from the French girafe . "Camelopard" / k ə ˈ m ɛ l ə ˌ p ɑːr d / is an archaic English name for the giraffe; it derives from the Ancient Greek καμηλοπάρδαλις ( kamēlopárdalis ), from κάμηλος ( kámēlos ), " camel ", and πάρδαλις ( párdalis ), " leopard ", referring to its camel-like shape and leopard-like colouration. The giraffe

4653-987: The Afrotropical amphibians, there is least concern about their conservation status; approximately 130 species are endangered, about one-fourth of which are at a critical stage. Almost all of the amphibians of Madagascar (238 species ) are endemic to that region. The West African goliath frog is the largest frog species in the world. The center of chameleon diversity is Madagascar. Snakes found in Africa include atractaspidids , elapids ( cobras , Aspidelaps , Boulengerina , Dendroaspis , Elapsoidea , Hemachatus , Homoroselaps and Paranaja ), viperines , ( Atheris , Bitis , Cerastes , Causus , Echis , Macrovipera , Montatheris , Proatheris , Vipera ), colubrids ( Dendrolycus , Dispholidus , Gonionotophis , Grayia , Hormonotus , Lamprophis , Psammophis , Leioheterodon , Madagascarophis , Poecilopholis , Dasypeltis etc.),

4752-939: The Afrotropics. These include rock-jumpers (Chaetopidae), bushshrikes (Malaconotidae), wattle-eyes , (Platysteiridae) and rockfowl (Picathartidae). Other common birds include parrots ( lovebirds , Poicephalus , Psittacus ), various cranes ( crowned cranes , blue crane , wattled crane ), storks ( marabous , Abdim's stork , saddle-billed stork ), herons ( slaty egret , black heron , goliath heron ), shoebill , bustards ( kori bustard , Neotis , Eupodotis , Lissotis ), sandgrouse ( Pterocles ), Coraciiformes ( bee-eaters , hornbills , Ceratogymna ), phasians , Congo peafowl , blue quail , harlequin quail , stone partridge , Madagascar partridge ). The woodpeckers and allies include honeyguides , African barbets , African piculet , ground woodpecker , Dendropicos and Campethera . The birds of prey include

4851-696: The best known group of insects. The caterpillars of mopani moth are part of the South African cuisine. Among the numerous species of African beetles are the famous sacred scarab , the centaurus beetle , manticora tiger beetles and enormous Goliath beetles . Hotspots for butterflies include the Congolian forests and the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic . Some butterflies ( Hamanumida daedalus , Precis , Eurema ) are grassland or savannah specialists. Many of these have very large populations and

4950-515: The biggest number of termite genera of all continents, and over 1,000 termite species. Of Diptera , the number of described African species is about 17,000. Natalimyzidae, a new family of acalyptrate flies has been recently described from South Africa . Anopheles gambiae , Aedes aegypti and tsetse fly are important vectors of diseases. 1600 species of bees and 2000 species of ants among other Hymenopterans are known from Africa. There live also 3,607 species of butterflies , being

5049-585: The break-up of Gondwanaland early in the Cretaceous , but was probably connected to the mainland again in the Eocene . The first Neogene faunal interchange took place in the Middle Miocene (the introduction of Myocricetodontinae , Democricetodontinae , and Dendromurinae ). A major terrestrial faunal exchange between North Africa and Europe began at about 6.1 Ma, some 0.4 Myr before the beginning of

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5148-426: The canopy. However, scientists disagree about just how much time giraffes spend feeding at levels beyond the reach of other browsers, and a 2010 study found that adult giraffes with longer necks actually suffered higher mortality rates under drought conditions than their shorter-necked counterparts. This study suggests that maintaining a longer neck requires more nutrients, which puts longer-necked giraffes at risk during

5247-1257: The clade Afrotheria (often viewed as a superorder ), which includes the exclusively African orders, as well as others believed to be of African origin. The East African plains are well known for their diversity of large mammals. African Eulipotyphla include the subfamilies Myosoricinae and Crocidurinae . Hedgehogs include desert hedgehogs , Atelerix and others. The rodents are represented by African bush squirrels , African ground squirrels , African striped squirrels , gerbils , cane rats , acacia rats , Nesomyidae , springhare , mole rats , dassie rats , striped grass mice , sun squirrels , thicket rats , Old World porcupines , target rats , maned rats , Deomyinae , Aethomys , Arvicanthis , Colomys , Dasymys , Dephomys , Epixerus , Grammomys , Graphiurus , Hybomys , Hylomyscus , Malacomys , Mastomys , Mus , Mylomys , Myomyscus , Oenomys , Otomys , Parotomys , Pelomys , Praomys , Rhabdomys , Stenocephalemys and many others. African rabbits and hares include riverine rabbit , Bunyoro rabbit , Cape hare , scrub hare , Ethiopian highland hare , African savanna hare , Abyssinian hare and several species of Pronolagus . Among

5346-494: The different hypotheses for giraffe species. The description column shows the traditional nine subspecies in the one-species hypothesis. Also known as Baringo giraffe or Ugandan giraffe Also known as Niger giraffe or Nigerian giraffe Also known as Somali giraffe Also known as Namibian giraffe Also known as Cape giraffe Also known as Kilimanjaro giraffe Also known as Luangwa giraffe or Rhodesian giraffe The first extinct species to be described

5445-904: The earliest times, the formation of African fauna as we know it today, began with the splitting up of the Gondwana supercontinent in the mid- Mesozoic era . After that, four to six faunal assemblages, the so-called African Faunal Strata (AFSs) can be distinguished. The isolation of Africa was broken intermittently by discontinuous "filter routes" that linked it to some other Gondwanan continents ( Madagascar , South America , and perhaps India ), but mainly to Laurasia . Interchanges with Gondwana were rare and mainly "out-of-Africa" dispersals, whereas interchanges with Laurasia were numerous and bidirectional, although mainly from Laurasia to Africa. Despite these connections, isolation resulted in remarkable absences, poor diversity, and emergence of endemic taxa in Africa. Madagascar separated from continental Africa during

5544-462: The early Eocene (about 53 million years ago). Since these findings almost simultaneously appeared in Europe , Asia , and North America , it is very difficult to accurately determine the origin of artiodactyls. The fossils are classified as belonging to the family Diacodexeidae ; their best-known and best-preserved member is Diacodexis . These were small animals, some as small as a hare , with

5643-609: The early Cenozoic ( Paleocene and Eocene ), which had hooves instead of claws on their feet. Their molars were adapted to a carnivorous diet, resembling the teeth in modern toothed whales , and, unlike other mammals, had a uniform construction. The suspected relations can be shown as follows:   Artiodactyla [REDACTED]   Mesonychia † [REDACTED]   Cetacea [REDACTED] Molecular findings and morphological indications suggest that artiodactyls, as traditionally defined, are paraphyletic with respect to cetaceans. Cetaceans are deeply nested within

5742-471: The elongation of the neck, as it enabled giraffes to reach food that competitors could not. This advantage is real, as giraffes can and do feed up to 4.5 m (15 ft) high, while even quite large competitors, such as kudu, can feed up to only about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high. There is also research suggesting that browsing competition is intense at lower levels, and giraffes feed more efficiently (gaining more leaf biomass with each mouthful) high in

5841-519: The endemic fauna and partly from steppe forms that adapted themselves to forest life, while the present savanna fauna is similarly explained. The isolation in past times has resulted in the presence of closely related subspecies in widely separated regions Africa, where humans originated, shows much less evidence of loss in the Pleistocene megafaunal extinction, perhaps because co-evolution of large animals alongside early humans provided enough time for them to develop effective defenses. Its situation in

5940-419: The exception of the musk deer ), have one of four types of cranial appendages: true horns, antlers , ossicones , or pronghorns . True horns have a bone core that is covered in a permanent sheath of keratin, and are found only in the bovids . Antlers are bony structures that are shed and replaced each year; they are found in deer (members of the family Cervidae ). They grow from a permanent outgrowth of

6039-417: The existence of four distinct species and seven subspecies. A 2024 study found a higher amount of ancient gene flow than expected between populations. The cladogram below shows the phylogenetic relationship between the four proposed species and seven subspecies based on a 2021 genome analysis. The eight lineages correspond to eight traditional subspecies in the one-species hypothesis. The Rothschild giraffe

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6138-869: The families Arthroleptidae , Astylosternidae , Heleophrynidae , Hemisotidae , Hyperoliidae , Petropedetidae , Mantellidae . Also widespread are Bufonidae ( Bufo , Churamiti , Capensibufo , Mertensophryne , Nectophryne , Nectophrynoides , Schismaderma , Stephopaedes , Werneria , Wolterstorffina ), Microhylidae ( Breviceps , Callulina , Probreviceps , Cophylinae , Dyscophus , Melanobatrachinae , Scaphiophryninae ), Rhacophoridae ( Chiromantis ), Ranidae ( Afrana , Amietia , Amnirana , Aubria , Conraua , Hildebrandtia , Lanzarana , Ptychadena , Strongylopus , Tomopterna ) and Pipidae ( Hymenochirus , Pseudhymenochirus , Xenopus ). The 2002–2004 'Global Amphibian Assessment' by IUCN , Conservation International and NatureServe revealed that for only about 50% of

6237-503: The fauna as a whole (it has been estimated that the African insects make up about 10-20% of the global insect species richness, and about 15% of new species descriptions come from Afrotropics ). The only endemic African insect order is Mantophasmatodea . About 875 African species of dragonflies have been recorded. The migratory locust and desert locust have been serious threats to African economies and human welfare. Africa has

6336-523: The few Onychophorans , Peripatopsis and Opisthopatus live in Africa. Greatest diversity of freshwater mollusks is found in East African lakes. Of marine snails, less diversity is present in Atlantic coast, more in tropical Western Indian Ocean region (over 3000 species of gastropods with 81 endemic species). Cowry shells have been used as a money by native Africans. The land snail fauna

6435-535: The first and second thoracic vertebrae (T1 and T2), unlike in most other ruminants, where the articulation is between the seventh cervical vertebra (C7) and T1. This allows C7 to contribute directly to increased neck length and has given rise to the suggestion that T1 is actually C8, and that giraffes have added an extra cervical vertebra. However, this proposition is not generally accepted, as T1 has other morphological features, such as an articulating rib , deemed diagnostic of thoracic vertebrae, and because exceptions to

6534-456: The five toes. Another difference between the two orders is that many artiodactyls (except for Suina ) digest plant cellulose in one or more stomach chambers rather than in their intestine (as perissodactyls do). Molecular biology, along with new fossil discoveries, has found that cetaceans ( whales , dolphins , and porpoises ) fall within this taxonomic branch, being most closely related to hippopotamuses . Some modern taxonomists thus apply

6633-1021: The former; the two groups together form a monophyletic taxon, for which the name Cetartiodactyla is sometimes used. Modern nomenclature divides Artiodactyla (or Cetartiodactyla) in four subordinate taxa: camelids (Tylopoda), pigs and peccaries (Suina), ruminants (Ruminantia), and hippos plus cetaceans (Whippomorpha). The presumed lineages within Artiodactyla can be represented in the following cladogram :   Tylopoda (camels) [REDACTED]   Suina (pigs) [REDACTED]   Tragulidae (mouse deer) [REDACTED]   Pecora (horn bearers) [REDACTED]   Hippopotamidae (hippopotamuses) [REDACTED]   Cetacea (whales) [REDACTED] The four summarized Artiodactyla taxa are divided into ten extant families: Although deer, musk deer, and pronghorns have traditionally been summarized as cervids (Cervioidea), molecular studies provide different—and inconsistent—results, so

6732-674: The frontal bone called the pedicle and can be branched, as in the white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ), or palmate , as in the moose ( Alces alces ). Ossicones are permanent bone structures that fuse to the frontal or parietal bones during an animal's life and are found only in the Giraffidae . Pronghorns , while similar to horns in that they have keratinous sheaths covering permanent bone cores, are deciduous. All these cranial appendages can serve for posturing, battling for mating privilege, and for defense. In almost all cases, they are sexually dimorphic, and are often found only on

6831-421: The fur, although indole and 3-methylindole are responsible for most of the smell. Because males have a stronger odour than females, it may also have a sexual function . Both sexes have prominent horn-like structures called ossicones , which can reach 13.5 cm (5.3 in). They are formed from ossified cartilage , covered in skin, and fused to the skull at the parietal bones . Being vascularised ,

6930-582: The genus Pan ( chimpanzee , Pan troglodytes , and bonobo , Pan paniscus ). Humans and their ancestors originated in Africa. Other primates include colobuses , baboons , geladas , vervet monkeys , guenons , macaques , mandrills , crested mangabeys , white-eyelid mangabeys , kipunji , Allen's swamp monkeys , Patas monkeys and talapoins . Lemurs and aye-aye are characteristic of Madagascar. See also Lists of mammals of Africa . Artiodactyla Cetartiodactyla Montgelard et al. 1997 Artiodactyls are placental mammals belonging to

7029-481: The genus Giraffa . That study also found that multi-species coalescent methods can lead to taxonomic over-splitting, as those methods delimit geographic structures rather than species. The three-species hypothesis, which recognises G . camelopardalis , G . giraffa , and G . tippelskirchi , is highly supported by phylogenetic analyses and also corroborated by most population genetic and multi-species coalescent analyses. A 2021 whole genome sequencing study suggests

7128-401: The ground and for defense. In ruminants, the males' upper canines are enlarged and used as a weapon in certain species (mouse deer, musk deer, water deer ); species with frontal weapons are usually missing the upper canines. The lower canines of ruminants resemble the incisors, so that these animals have eight uniform teeth in the frontal part of the lower jaw . The molars of porcine have only

7227-601: The late Eocene and developed a great diversity of species in North America. Only in the late Miocene or early Pliocene did they migrate from North America into Eurasia. The North American varieties became extinct around 10,000 years ago. Suina (including pigs ) have been around since the Eocene. In the late Eocene or the Oligocene , two families stayed in Eurasia and Africa; the peccaries , which became extinct in

7326-482: The light and shade patterns of savannah woodlands. When standing among trees and bushes, they are hard to see at even a few metres distance. However, adult giraffes move about to gain the best view of an approaching predator, relying on their size and ability to defend themselves rather than on camouflage, which may be more important for calves. Each giraffe has a unique coat pattern. Calves inherit some coat pattern traits from their mothers, and variation in some spot traits

7425-407: The limbs are predominantly localized, which ensures that artiodactyls often have very slender legs. A clavicle is never present, and the scapula is very agile and swings back and forth for added mobility when running. The special construction of the legs causes the legs to be unable to rotate, which allows for greater stability when running at high speeds. In addition, many smaller artiodactyls have

7524-634: The males are consistently larger and heavier than the females. In deer, only the males boast antlers, and the horns of bovines are usually small or not present in females. Male Indian antelopes have a much darker coat than females. Almost all even-toed ungulates have fur, with the exception being the nearly hairless hippopotamus. Fur varies in length and coloration depending on the habitat. Species in cooler regions can shed their coat. Camouflaged coats come in colors of yellow, gray, brown, or black tones. Even-toed ungulates bear their name because they have an even number of toes (two or four)—in some peccaries,

7623-463: The males. One exception is the species Rangifer tarandus , known as reindeer in Europe or caribou in North America, where both sexes can grow antlers yearly, though the females' antlers are typically smaller and not always present. There are two trends in terms of teeth within Artiodactyla. The Suina and hippopotamuses have a relatively large number of teeth (with some pigs having 44); their dentition

7722-468: The mammalian limit of seven cervical vertebrae are generally characterised by increased neurological anomalies and maladies. There are several hypotheses regarding the evolutionary origin and maintenance of elongation in giraffe necks. Charles Darwin originally suggested the "competing browsers hypothesis", which has been challenged only recently. It suggests that competitive pressure from smaller browsers, like kudu , steenbok and impala , encouraged

7821-494: The marine mammals there are several species of dolphins , 2 species of sirenians and seals (e.g. Cape fur seals ). Of the carnivorans there are 60 species, including the conspicuous hyenas , lions , leopards , cheetahs , serval , African wild dog as well as the less prominent and understudied Side-striped jackal , striped polecat , African striped weasel , caracal , honey badger , speckle-throated otter , several mongooses , foxes and civets . The family Eupleridae

7920-421: The mouse deer, often reaches a body length of only 45 centimeters (18 in) and a weight of 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb). The largest member, the hippopotamus, can grow up to 5 meters (16 ft) in length and weigh 4.5 metric tons (5 short tons), and the giraffe can grow to be 5.5 meters (18 ft) tall and 4.7 meters (15 ft) in body length. All even-toed ungulates display some form of sexual dimorphism :

8019-948: The name Cetartiodactyla ( / s ɪ ˌ t ɑːr t i oʊ ˈ d æ k t ɪ l ə / ) to this group, while others opt to include cetaceans within the existing name of Artiodactyla. Some researchers use " even-toed ungulates " to exclude cetaceans and only include terrestrial artiodactyls, making the term paraphyletic in nature. The roughly 270 land-based even-toed ungulate species include pigs , peccaries , hippopotamuses , antelopes , deer , giraffes , camels , llamas , alpacas , sheep , goats and cattle . Many are herbivores, but suids are omnivorous, whereas cetaceans are entirely carnivorous. Artiodactyls are also known by many extinct groups such as anoplotheres , cainotheriids , merycoidodonts , entelodonts , anthracotheres , basilosaurids , and palaeomerycids . Many artiodactyls are of great dietary, economic, and cultural importance to humans. The oldest fossils of even-toed ungulates date back to

8118-689: The neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear sole responsibility for rearing the young. The giraffe has intrigued various ancient and modern cultures for its peculiar appearance and has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable to extinction. It has been extirpated from many parts of its former range. Giraffes are still found in many national parks and game reserves , but estimates as of 2016 indicate there are approximately 97,500 members of Giraffa in

8217-449: The okapi and may have been its ancestor. Others find that the okapi lineage diverged earlier, before Giraffokeryx . Samotherium was a particularly important transitional fossil in the giraffe lineage, as the length and structure of its cervical vertebrae were between those of a modern giraffe and an okapi, and its neck posture was likely similar to the former's. Bohlinia , which first appeared in southeastern Europe and lived 9–7 mya,

8316-479: The ossicones may have a role in thermoregulation , and are used in combat between males. Appearance is a reliable guide to the sex or age of a giraffe: the ossicones of females and young are thin and display tufts of hair on top, whereas those of adult males tend to be bald and knobbed on top. A lump, which is more prominent in males, emerges in the middle of the skull. Males develop calcium deposits that form bumps on their skulls as they age. Multiple sinuses lighten

8415-442: The plate (top and sides), the sole (bottom), and the bale (rear). In general, the claws of the forelegs are wider and blunter than those of the hind legs, and they are farther apart. Aside from camels, all even-toed ungulates put just the tip of the foremost phalanx on the ground. In even-toed ungulates, the bones of the stylopodium (upper arm or thigh bone) and zygopodiums (tibia and fibula) are usually elongated. The muscles of

8514-413: The question of phylogenetic systematics of infraorder Pecora (the horned ruminants) for the time being, cannot be answered. Artiodactyls are generally quadrupeds . Two major body types are known: suinids and hippopotamuses are characterized by a stocky body, short legs, and a large head; camels and ruminants, though, have a more slender build and lanky legs. Size varies considerably; the smallest member,

8613-401: The same time a broad land-bridge connected Africa with Asia and there was a great invasion of animals of the steppe fauna into Africa. At the beginning of the Pleistocene a moist period set in and much of the forest was renewed while the grassland fauna was divided and isolated, as the forest fauna had previously been. The present forest fauna is therefore of double origin, partly descended of

8712-472: The sequence with that of other living beings—the more similar they are, the more closely they are related. Comparison of even-toed ungulate and cetaceans genetic material has shown that the closest living relatives of whales and hippopotamuses is the paraphyletic group Artiodactyla. Dan Graur and Desmond Higgins were among the first to come to this conclusion, and included a paper published in 1994. However, they did not recognize hippopotamuses and classified

8811-668: The size of a wolf) and Ichthyolestes (an early whale the size of a fox) were found in Pakistan. They were both archaeocetes ("ancient whales") from about 48 million years ago (in the Eocene). These findings showed that archaeocetes were more terrestrial than previously thought, and that the special construction of the talus (ankle bone) with a double-rolled joint surface, previously thought to be unique to even-toed ungulates, were also in early cetaceans. The mesonychians , another type of ungulate, did not show this special construction of

8910-521: The talus, and thus was concluded to not have the same ancestors as cetaceans. The oldest cetaceans date back to the early Eocene (53 million years ago), whereas the oldest known hippopotamus dates back only to the Miocene (15 million years ago). The hippopotamids are descended from the anthracotheres, a family of semiaquatic and terrestrial artiodactyls that appeared in the late Eocene, and are thought to have resembled small- or narrow-headed hippos. Research

9009-479: The traditional order Artiodactyla and infraorder Cetacea are sometimes subsumed into the more inclusive Cetartiodactyla taxon. An alternative approach is to include both land-dwelling even-toed ungulates and ocean-dwelling cetaceans in a revised Artiodactyla taxon. In the 1990s, biological systematics used not only morphology and fossils to classify organisms, but also molecular biology . Molecular biology involves sequencing an organism's DNA and RNA and comparing

9108-760: The tropics spared it also from Pleistocene glaciations and the climate has not changed much. There are large gaps in human knowledge about African invertebrates. East Africa has a rich coral fauna with about 400 known species. More than 400 species of Echinoderms and 500 species of Bryozoa live there too, as well as one Cubozoan species ( Carybdea alata ). Of nematodes , the Onchocerca volvulus , Necator americanus , Wuchereria bancrofti and Dracunculus medinensis are human parasites. Some of important plant-parasitic nematodes of crops include Meloidogyne , Pratylenchus , Hirschmanniella , Radopholus , Scutellonema and Helicotylenchus . Of

9207-679: The wild. More than 1,600 were kept in zoos in 2010. The name "giraffe" has its earliest known origins in the Arabic word zarāfah ( زرافة ), ultimately from Persian زُرنَاپَا ( zurnāpā ), a compound of زُرنَا ( zurnā , "flute, zurna") and پَا ( pā , "leg"). In early Modern English the spellings jarraf and ziraph were used, probably directly from the Arabic, and in Middle English jarraf and ziraph , gerfauntz . The Italian form giraffa arose in

9306-511: The world. 20 genera of freshwater crabs are present. The soil animal communities tropical Africa are poorly known. A few ecological studies have been undertaken on macrofauna, mainly in West Africa. Earthworms are being extensively studied in West and South Africa. Approximately 100,000 species of insects have been described from Sub-Saharan Africa , but there are very few overviews of

9405-516: Was Giraffa sivalensis Falconer and Cautley 1843, a reevaluation of a vertebra that was initially described as a fossil of the living giraffe. While taxonomic opinion may be lacking on some names, the extinct species that have been published include: Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3–5.7 m (14–19 ft) tall, with males taller than females. The average weight is 1,192 kg (2,628 lb) for an adult male and 828 kg (1,825 lb) for an adult female. Despite its long neck and legs, its body

9504-426: Was hotly debated because ocean-dwelling cetaceans evolved from land-dwelling even-toed ungulates. Some semiaquatic even-toed ungulates ( hippopotamuses ) are more closely related to ocean-dwelling cetaceans than to other even-toed ungulates. Phylogenetic classification only recognizes monophyletic taxa; that is, groups that descend from a common ancestor and include all of its descendants. To address this problem,

9603-626: Was likely a direct ancestor of the giraffe. Bohlinia closely resembled modern giraffes, having a long neck and legs and similar ossicones and dentition. Bohlinia colonised China and northern India and produced the Giraffa , which, around 7  million years ago , reached Africa. Climate changes led to the extinction of the Asian giraffes, while the African giraffes survived and radiated into new species. Living giraffes appear to have arisen around 1  million years ago in eastern Africa during

9702-629: Was once much more extensive, with over 10 fossil genera described. The elongation of the neck appears to have started early in the giraffe lineage . Comparisons between giraffes and their ancient relatives suggest vertebrae close to the skull lengthened earlier, followed by lengthening of vertebrae further down. One early giraffid ancestor was Canthumeryx , which has been dated variously to have lived 25 to 20 million years ago , 17–15 mya or 18–14.3 mya and whose deposits have been found in Libya. This animal resembled an antelope and had

9801-621: Was widely accepted by the end of the 20th century was:   Suidae [REDACTED]   Hippopotamidae [REDACTED]   Tylopoda [REDACTED]   Tragulidae [REDACTED]   Pecora [REDACTED] Modern cetaceans are highly adapted sea creatures which, morphologically, have little in common with land mammals; they are similar to other marine mammals , such as seals and sea cows , due to convergent evolution . However, they evolved from originally terrestrial mammals. The most likely ancestors were long thought to be mesonychians—large, carnivorous animals from

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