The Evolutionary History of the GiraffeBrought to you by:Jaclyn Setina, Melissa Rivera, Caroline DeBrota, Ariel Bohner

BIO 130-6th HourMarch 10, 2016

http://www.amusingtime.com/funny/funny-giraffe/page/11/

http://www.giraffeworlds.com/giraffe-anatomy/

Basic taxonomyDomain Eukarya

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Mammalia

Order Artiodactyla

Family Giraffidae

Genus Giraffa

Species G. camelopardalis

http://naturalhorseworld.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/RosGiraffe.jpg

The giraffe’s neck evolution over time has not been constant, but its adaptations have been advantageous.

http://tallgiraffes.weebly.com/all-about-giraffes.html https://www.pinterest.com/candyrags2/giraffes-walking-tall-with-grace/

The giraffe’s closest living relative, the okapi, does not display the same evolutionary adaptations.

http://www.strangeanimals.info/2010/10/okapi.html https://www.pinterest.com/tracybrend/okapi/

Lamarck’s theory on the evolution of the giraffe’s neck involved the giraffe reaching for the leaves and then passing on its long neck to its offspring.

https://psychneuro.wordpress.com/2016/02/17/lamarckian-evolution-the-laughing-stocks-last-laugh/

Darwin believed the giraffe’s long neck was a product of natural selection.

http://www.slideshare.net/MoisesOrtaAngs/evolution-41617654

The evolution of the giraffe can be observed from the fossils of their ancestors.

http://img01.deviantart.net/20ea/i/2015/023/2/4/giraffids_by_tfprime1114-d8f4i5k.png

Descent with modification can be seen in the gradual changes in body shapes of the giraffe’s prehistoric ancestors.

http://cdn4.sci-news.com/images/enlarge2/image_3321_2e-Giraffe-Neck.jpg

The giraffe’s anatomy changed gradually over millions of years.

http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/2/10/150393

The giraffe’s heart evolved in tandem with the giraffe’s long neck.

http://cutefunnyanimal.blogspot.com/2013/05/giraffe-cute-images-2013.htmlhttp://www.africahunting.com/hunting-pictures-videos/showphoto.php?photo=12585&title=giraffe-heart&cat=543

Prodremotherium lived about 25 million years ago.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Leptomeryx_BW.jpg/220px-Leptomeryx_BW.jpghttp://img01.deviantart.net/20ea/i/2015/023/2/4/giraffids_by_tfprime1114-d8f4i5k.png

Canthumeryx, an ancestor of the giraffe, may have represented the evolutionary divergence

point for the modern okapi and giraffe.

http://america.pink/images/8/4/8/5/8/7/en/2-canthumeryx.jpghttp://www.conservapedia.com/images/5/5e/Dawkins_giraffe_2.png

Sivatherium was the prehistoric ancestor of the okapi.

http://img01.deviantart.net/20ea/i/2015/023/2/4/giraffids_by_tfprime1114-d8f4i5k.pnghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivatherium#/media/File:Sivatherium_giganteus_2.JPG

Samotherium was the prehistoric ancestor of the modern giraffe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samotherium#/media/File:Giraffidcomparison.jpghttp://www.conservapedia.com/images/5/5e/Dawkins_giraffe_2.png

Samotherium skull vs modern Giraffe skull.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samotherium#/media/File:Samotherium_boissieri.JPG http://skullsite.co.uk/Giraffe/giraffe_F_lat_800.jpg

The advantages given by the giraffe’s long neck are still debated today.

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/drinking-giraffe-johan-elzenga.htmlhttp://openwalls.com/wallpapers?search=giraffe+and+baby+giraffe

Sourceshttp://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/2/10/150393

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151007033229.htm

http://www.sunstar-solutions.com/AOP/SOW/vpaleo.htm

http://www.marylandzoo.org/animals-conservation/mammals/okapi/

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/wild-things/how-giraffe-got-its-long-neck

http://natureinstitute.org/pub/ic/ic10/giraffe.htm

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/07/how-giraffes-became-winners-by-a-neck/

Despite some disadvantages associated with their current anatomy, giraffes, in their current

form, have hung in there for 3 million years!

http://76931d.medialib.glogster.com/kire3/avatars/1399486401/medium-kire3.png