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69-444: Zoological nomenclature is independent of other systems of nomenclature, for example botanical nomenclature . This implies that animals can have the same generic names as plants (e.g. there is a genus Abronia in both animals and plants). The rules and recommendations have one fundamental aim: to provide the maximum universality and continuity in the naming of all animals, except where taxonomic judgment dictates otherwise. The code

138-434: A German physician and botanist, is often considered the originator of Latin names for the rapidly increasing number of plants known to science. For instance he coined the name Digitalis in his De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes (1542). A key event was Linnaeus’ adoption of binomial names for plant species in his Species Plantarum (1753). In the nineteenth century it became increasingly clear that there

207-416: A combination of a generic name and a specific name ; together they make a " binomen ". No other rank can have a name composed of two names. Examples: In botanical nomenclature, the equivalent for "binominal nomenclature" is "binary nomenclature" (or sometimes " binomial nomenclature "). This is the principle that the correct formal scientific name for an animal taxon , the valid name , correct to use,

276-416: 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

345-466: 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

414-492: 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

483-466: 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,

552-464: 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

621-692: A homonymy usually produces the same problems as if there were no rules: conflicts between entirely independent and unconnected groups of taxonomists working in different animal groups. Very often the Commission must be asked to take a decision. Examples: For names above the superfamily level, the principle of homonymy does not apply. Examples: Family-rank names and genus-rank names cannot be homonyms of one another, even if identical. Example: Animal, plant, and fungi nomenclature are entirely independent from each other. The most evident shortcoming of this situation (for their use in biodiversity informatics )

690-592: 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

759-446: A new name may (or must) be coined. Plant taxonomy is an empirical science, a science that determines what constitutes a particular taxon (taxonomic grouping, plural: taxa): e.g. "What plants belong to this species?" and "What species belong to this genus?". The definition of the limits of a taxon is called its ' circumscription '. For a particular taxon, if two taxonomists agree exactly on its circumscription, rank and position (i.e.

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828-426: A subgenus) are the same as for the name actually published (for example a genus). It is immaterial if there is an actual taxon to which the automatically established name applies; if ever such a taxon is recognised, there is a name available for it. This is the principle that in cases of conflicts between simultaneously published divergent acts, the first subsequent author can decide which has precedence. It supplements

897-551: 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

966-491: Is also retroactive or retrospective , which means that previous editions of the code, or previous other rules and conventions have no force any more today, and the nomenclatural acts published earlier must be evaluated only under the present edition of the code. In cases of disputes a case can be brought to the commission who has the right to publish a final decision. In regulating the names of animals it holds by six central principles, which were first set out (as principles) in

1035-598: 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

1104-404: 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

1173-482: 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

1242-645: Is governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants ( ICN ), which replaces the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature ( ICBN ). Fossil plants are also covered by the code of nomenclature. Within the limits set by that code there is another set of rules, the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP) which applies to plant cultivars that have been deliberately altered or selected by humans (see cultigen ). Botanical nomenclature

1311-569: Is important to cite author and year. Citing the author alone is often not sufficient. Examples: In some cases, the same genus-group or species-group name was published in the same year by the same author. In these cases it is useful to cite the page where the name was established. There are cases where two homonyms were established by the same author in the same year on the same page: Homonyms occur relatively rarely in families (only if generic names are identical or very similar and adding an ending "-idae" produces identical results). Discovering such

1380-609: Is independent of other systems of nomenclature, for example zoological nomenclature . This implies that animals can have the same generic names as plants (e.g. there is a genus Iris in plants and a genus Iris in animals). Botanical nomenclature has a long history, going back beyond the period when Latin was the scientific language throughout Europe, to Theophrastus (c. 370–287 BC), Dioscorides (c. 40 – 90 AD) and other Greek writers. Many of these works have come down to us in Latin translations. The principal Latin writer on botany

1449-477: 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

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1518-435: Is meant to guide only the nomenclature of animals, while leaving zoologists freedom in classifying new taxa . In other words, while species concepts (and thus the definition of species) are arbitrary to some degree, the rules for names are not. The code applies only to names. A new animal name published without adherence to the code may be deemed simply "unavailable" if it fails to meet certain criteria, or fall entirely out of

1587-439: 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

1656-671: 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

1725-511: 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

1794-450: 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

1863-430: Is that the same generic name can be used simultaneously for animals and plants. For this kind of homonym the expression "hemihomonym" is sometimes used. Far more than 1000 such names are known. Examples: This is the principle that each nominal taxon in the family group, genus group, or species group has—actually or potentially—a name-bearing type fixed that provides the objective standard of reference that determines what

1932-575: Is the oldest available name that applies to it. It is the most important principle—the fundamental guiding precept that preserves zoological nomenclature stability. It was first formulated in 1842 by a committee appointed by the British Association to consider the rules of zoological nomenclature. Hugh Edwin Strickland wrote the committee's report. Examples: There are over 2 million junior synonyms recorded in zoology, primarily at

2001-468: Is the principle that the name of each taxon must be unique. Consequently, a name that is a junior homonym of another name must not be used as a valid name. It means that any one animal name, in one particular spelling, may be used only once (within its group). This is usually the first-published name; any later name with the same spelling (a homonym ) is barred from being used. The principles of priority and first reviser apply here. For family-group names

2070-435: The principle of priority , which states that the first published name takes precedence. The principle of the first reviser deals with situations that cannot be resolved by priority. These items may be two or more different names for the same taxon, two or more names with the same spelling used for different taxa, two or more different spellings of a particular name, etc. In such cases, the first subsequent author who deals with

2139-537: 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

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2208-478: 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

2277-461: 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

2346-454: 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

2415-553: 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

2484-495: The World Online and World Flora Online make determinations as to whether a name is accepted , e.g. accepted species. If a name is not accepted, it may be because the name is a synonym for a name that is already accepted, and is listed as such. Another term is ambiguous to denote a name that is not accepted because its separate existence cannot be reliably determined. Giraffa See taxonomy The giraffe

2553-432: 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

2622-496: 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

2691-472: 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

2760-420: 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

2829-538: 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

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2898-425: 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 ,

2967-482: 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

3036-479: The higher rank in which it is included) then there is only one name which can apply under the ICN . Where they differ in opinion on any of these issues, one and the same plant may be placed in taxa with different names. As an example, consider Siehe's Glory-of-the-Snow, Chionodoxa siehei : In summary, if a plant has different names or is placed in differently named taxa: Various botanical databases such as Plants of

3105-404: The junior and senior homonyms have been in separate genera after 1899 (Art. 57.2.1, Art. 23.9). Examples: Secondary homonyms occur when taxa with the same specific name but different original genera are later classified in the same genus (Art. 57.3, 59). A secondary homonym may only be a temporary state, as it only applies so long as two species are congeneric. Under a different classification,

3174-486: 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

3243-470: 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

3312-505: The matter and chooses and publishes the decision in the required manner is the first reviser, and is to be followed. Example: Linnaeus 1758 established Strix scandiaca and Strix noctua (Aves), for which he gave different descriptions and referred to different types, but both taxa later turned out to refer to the same species, the snowy owl . The two names are subjective synonyms. Lönnberg 1931 acted as first reviser, cited both names and selected Strix scandiaca to have precedence. This

3381-440: The name applies to. Botanical nomenclature Botanical nomenclature is the formal, scientific naming of plants. It is related to, but distinct from taxonomy . Plant taxonomy is concerned with grouping and classifying plants; botanical nomenclature then provides names for the results of this process. The starting point for modern botanical nomenclature is Linnaeus ' Species Plantarum of 1753. Botanical nomenclature

3450-475: The name of a genus also establishes the corresponding name of a subgenus (or vice versa): genus Giraffa Linnaeus, 1758 and subgenus Giraffa ( Giraffa ) Linnaeus, 1758 . In the family-group, publication of the name of a family, subfamily, superfamily (or any other such rank) also establishes the names in all the other ranks in the family group (family Giraffidae, superfamily Giraffoidea, subfamily Giraffinae). Author citations for such names (for example

3519-689: 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

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3588-452: 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,

3657-484: 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

3726-509: The province of science (e.g., the "scientific name" for the Loch Ness Monster ). The rules in the code determine which available names are valid for any taxon in the family group, genus group, and species group. It has additional (but more limited) provisions on names in higher ranks . The code recognizes no case law . Any dispute is decided first by applying the code directly, and not by reference to precedent. The code

3795-409: The relevant other ranks with the same type. In the species-group, publishing a species name (the binomen ) Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 also establishes the subspecies name (the trinomen ) Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 . The same applies to the name of a subspecies; this establishes the corresponding species name. In the genus-group, similarly, publishing

3864-492: The same genus and same species in their original combination. The difference between a junior primary homonym and a subsequent use of a name is undefined, but it is commonly accepted that if the name referred to another species or form, gave a description, and if there is in addition no evidence the author knew that the name was previously used, it is considered as a junior homonym. Example: Typically, junior primary homonyms are permanently invalid, but some are treated as valid if

3933-441: The species level. The principle of coordination is that within the family group, genus group and species group, a name established for a taxon at any rank in the group is simultaneously established with the same author and date for taxa based on the same name-bearing type at other ranks in the corresponding group. In other words, publishing a new zoological name automatically and simultaneously establishes all corresponding names in

4002-421: The substitute name is itself not in use. Example: Double homonymy (genus and species) may or may not be homonymy in the strict sense: if the genera are homonyms but not the same genus, the same specific names can be used in both groups, because the species are subsequently placed in different genera when the generic homonymy is removed. Example: For disambiguating one genus-group name from its homonym, it

4071-508: The termination (which is rank-bound) is not taken into account. Genera are homonyms only if exactly the same — a one-letter difference is enough to distinguish them. Examples: The following are not homonyms of Argus : The following names are not homonyms of each other: Some spelling variants are explicitly defined by the Code as being homonyms. Otherwise the one-letter difference rule applies. In species, primary homonyms are those with

4140-411: The third edition of the code (1985): This is the principle that the scientific name of a species, and not of a taxon at any other rank, is a combination of two names; the use of a trinomen for the name of a subspecies and of uninominal names for taxa above the species group is in accord with this principle. This means that in the system of nomenclature for animals, the name of a species is composed of

4209-516: The two species may no longer be in the same genus, and the junior name can potentially be used again (Art. 59.1), as long as it was not replaced before 1961, in which case it is permanently invalid (Art. 59.3). This is one of the rare cases where a single zoological species can have two entirely different names at the same time, depending upon whose classification is followed. Example: Article 59.3 states that junior secondary homonyms replaced before 1961 by substitute names are permanently invalid unless

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4278-683: 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

4347-520: 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

4416-554: Was Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD). From Mediaeval times, Latin became the universal scientific language ( lingua franca ) in Europe. Most written plant knowledge was the property of monks, particularly Benedictine , and the purpose of those early herbals was primarily medicinal rather than plant science per se . It would require the invention of the printing press (1450) to make such information more widely available. Leonhart Fuchs ,

4485-468: Was a need for rules to govern scientific nomenclature, and initiatives were taken to refine the body of laws initiated by Linnaeus. These were published in successively more sophisticated editions. For plants, key dates are 1867 ( lois de Candolle) and 1906 ( International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature , 'Vienna Rules'). The most recent is the Shenzhen Code , adopted in 2018. Another development

4554-416: Was adopted to govern the nomenclature of Bacteria, the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria . Botanical nomenclature is closely linked to plant taxonomy, and botanical nomenclature serves plant taxonomy, but nevertheless botanical nomenclature is separate from plant taxonomy. Botanical nomenclature is merely the body of rules prescribing which name applies to that taxon (see correct name ) and if

4623-682: 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

4692-631: 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

4761-512: Was the insight into the delimitation of the concept of 'plant'. Gradually more and more groups of organisms are being recognised as being independent of plants. Nevertheless, the formal names of most of these organisms are governed by the (ICN), even today. Some protists that do not fit easily into either plant or animal categories are treated under either or both of the ICN and the ICZN . A separate Code

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