'Short giraffe' that experts saw twice
Giraffes are 'the tallest mammals on earth' with an average height of about 4.8 meters. However, two 'short giraffes' have been found in Africa, which surprises experts.
Skeletal dysplasia-like syndromes in wild giraffe
How a Dwarf Giraffe Discovery Surprised Scientists --The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/science/dwarf-giraffes.html
Known for its neck, which has an average height of 1.8 meters, which exceeds the average height of humankind, the giraffe is the tallest mammal on the planet, with a long neck as well as legs. However, in Africa, 'short giraffes' that seem to be contrary to the characteristics of such giraffes have been confirmed multiple times.
The first 'short giraffe' was identified in Murchison Falls National Park , Uganda. Michael Butler Brown, a member of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution for Conservation Biology, said in 2015, 'I saw it twice' when I discovered a Nubia giraffe that was only 2.8 meters tall in the national park. I will talk. This giraffe has a long neck like a normal individual, but short legs, and 'it looked like the giraffe's head was attached to the horse's body.' This giraffe was named 'Gimli'.
In 2017, a 2.6-meter-tall Angora giraffe was found on a private farm located in central Namibia. Below is a photo of the Angora giraffe in question. 'To be honest, I thought it was Photoshop,' said David O'Connor, president of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, about the giraffe, which was named 'Nigera.'
By using digital surveying technology in photographs of the two giraffes in question taken from multiple angles, Brown et al. Compare the dimensions of each part with normal individuals. As a result, it was concluded that these two animals have '
As the name implies, short stature is a general term for symptoms that cause short stature, and most of them are caused by genetic disorders. Short stature is seen not only in humans but also in domestic animals such as dogs, cows and pigs, but it is a symptom that is rarely confirmed in wild animals. It is unclear what caused the two problems to become short stature, but the research team said, 'Short stature in captive animals is associated with a lack of genetic diversity due to inbreeding. In many cases, 'he said.
Although half of the giraffes die in the wild by the time they reach adulthood, the two confirmed animals are not expected to be particularly inferior in viability, but Brown cites various problems created by short stature. I will. Mr. Brown said that giraffes run and kick when attacked by predators, but in addition to the problem that two of them have particularly short legs and cannot take such defensive actions, they have two backs. He said the problem was that the height was much smaller than the female, and commented, 'Unless someone brings it to the platform, the two will not be able to mate.'
Giraffes are estimated to have declined by 40% in the last 30 years due to habitat loss and poaching, and species such as Nubia giraffe are on the verge of extinction. The research team said that Nigel was confirmed to be alive in July 2020, while Gimli was not confirmed after March 2017, saying, 'Giraffe investigation and monitoring to counter the decline in giraffe population. We will continue to do so in the future. '
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