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Giraffe Sub-Species Are Actually Different Species

posted by janrinok on Sunday September 11 2016, @03:25AM   Printer-friendly
from the tall-tale dept.

takyon writes:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37311716

It is a famous, gentle giant of the African savannah, but the giraffe's genetics have just revealed that there is not one species, but four. Giraffes have previously been recognised to be a single species divided into several sub-species. But this latest study of their DNA suggests that four groups of giraffes have not cross-bred and exchanged genetic material for millions of years. This is a clear indication that they have evolved into distinct species.

The study published in the journal Current Biology has rewritten the biology of Earth's tallest mammal. The scientists say their findings could inform the conservation efforts for all four species of giraffe. [...] In the last 15 years, the population of giraffes has declined by 40% - there are now an estimated 90,000 individuals in the wild. But, as a single species, they are classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as of Least Concern. Now, it is clear that each of these four newly classified species could be faring very differently.

Multi-locus Analyses Reveal Four Giraffe Species Instead of One (DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.07.036) (DX)

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @03:35AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @03:35AM (#400185)

    Now it's not enough to have a genuine giraffe hide purse. You've got to collect all four.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @04:05AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @04:05AM (#400191)

    genuine giraffe hide purse.

    This is where the DNA tests come in! That "genuine" giraffe purse? Sheared and resist dyed domestic cat.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @02:26PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @02:26PM (#400280)

      If you're making a purse out of it, I don't think it resisted dying strongly enough.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @04:06AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @04:06AM (#400192)

    It will go well with my AC tanned boots.

    Wait! Why are you running? Let's be friends?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @04:10AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @04:10AM (#400194)

      Don't look back, AC...

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @05:58AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @05:58AM (#400215)

        Not good enough, Sonny Jim!

    • (Score: 2) by HiThere on Sunday September 11 2016, @07:24PM

      by HiThere (866) Subscriber Badge on Sunday September 11 2016, @07:24PM (#400361) Journal

      I'm rather certain you meant "tanned AC boots". "AC tanned boots" would be boots that had been tanned by an AC.

      --
      Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.