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Line 26: + − [[Image:Dawkins giraffe 1.png|right|thumb|300px|Dawkin's book "Climbing Mount Improbable" (1996), uses this illustration showing an okapi and a giraffe to demonstrate the origins of the giraffe]] − [[Image:Dawkins giraffe 2.png|right|thumb|800px|In the book "Animals of Our World" (1988), Bertelsmann Lexikothek shows the true relative sizes of man, giraffe and okapi; on the left side is repeated Dawkin's illustration for comparison, but with the true okapi between them, again demonstrating its real relative size.]]
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*Rothschild (G.c. rothchildi)
*Rothschild (G.c. rothchildi)
*Masai (G.c. tippelskirchi)
*Masai (G.c. tippelskirchi)
*Thornicroft (G.c. thornicrofti) a
*Thornicroft (G.c. thornicrofti)
*Southern African (G.c. capensis/G.c. angolensis).
*Southern African (G.c. capensis/G.c. angolensis).
==Diet==
==Diet==
The giraffe feeds from tall trees, particularly [[Acacia]] and [[Commiphora]]. Their tongues grow up to 18 inches (45cm) long, which helps them pick through the acacia tree’s spiky branches. (myrrh) trees on the plains of Africa. Females bend their heads down over their meal, while males stretch up to reach the youngest shoots. To drink, giraffes have to lower their heads and spread their front legs wide apart to reach the ground.<ref>''Amazing animals: Giraffe'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/reallywild/amazing/giraffe.shtml Science and nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
The giraffe feeds from tall trees, particularly [[Acacia]] and [[Commiphora]]. Their tongues grow up to 18 inches (45cm) long, which helps them pick through the acacia tree’s spiky branches. Females bend their heads down over their meal, while males stretch up to reach the youngest shoots. To drink, giraffes have to lower their heads and spread their front legs wide apart to reach the ground.<ref>''Amazing animals: Giraffe'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/reallywild/amazing/giraffe.shtml Science and nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
==Behaviour==
==Behaviour==
==The giraffe's neck and Dawkins' deception==
==The giraffe's neck and Dawkins' deception==
[[Image:Dawkins giraffe 1.png|right|thumb|300px|Dawkin's book "Climbing Mount Improbable" (1996), uses this illustration showing an okapi and a giraffe to demonstrate the origins of the giraffe]][[Image:Dawkins giraffe 2.png|right|thumb|800px|In the book "Animals of Our World" (1988), Bertelsmann Lexikothek shows the true relative sizes of man, giraffe and okapi; on the left side is repeated Dawkin's illustration for comparison, but with the true okapi between them, again demonstrating its real relative size.]]
According to today's best giraffe researchers, ''no'' [[fossil]] links that could demonstrate the gradual [[evolution]] of the long-necked giraffe from the short-necked giraffe exist. Some [[Paleontology|paleontologists]] postulate a "neck elongation macromutation" to explain the origin of the long-necked giraffe. [[Richard Dawkins]] also claims the origin of the long-necked giraffe is due to macromutation. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig points out: "This exception would naturally be fully unnecessary, if the gradual evolution of the long-necked giraffe could really be reconstructed through fossils, especially since he much prefers the gradualist view. Dawkins draws the okapi, in relation to the Giraffa, nearly twice as large as it really is. In this way, the problem of its evolution (the gap between the two forms) appears only half as large. One may well ask if this technique is useful in the search for truth."<ref>Lönnig, Wolf-Ekkehard [http://www.weloennig.de/Giraffe.pdf "The Evolution of the Long-Necked Giraffe – What Do We Really Know?"] (2006)</ref>
According to today's best giraffe researchers, ''no'' [[fossil]] links that could demonstrate the gradual [[evolution]] of the long-necked giraffe from the short-necked giraffe exist. Some [[Paleontology|paleontologists]] postulate a "neck elongation macromutation" to explain the origin of the long-necked giraffe. [[Richard Dawkins]] also claims the origin of the long-necked giraffe is due to macromutation. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig points out: "This exception would naturally be fully unnecessary, if the gradual evolution of the long-necked giraffe could really be reconstructed through fossils, especially since he much prefers the gradualist view. Dawkins draws the okapi, in relation to the Giraffa, nearly twice as large as it really is. In this way, the problem of its evolution (the gap between the two forms) appears only half as large. One may well ask if this technique is useful in the search for truth."<ref>Lönnig, Wolf-Ekkehard [http://www.weloennig.de/Giraffe.pdf "The Evolution of the Long-Necked Giraffe – What Do We Really Know?"] (2006)</ref>
==References==
==References==