Giraffe - Revision history

DavidB4-bot: HTTP --> HTTPS, replaced: http://www.bbc.co.uk → https://www.bbc.co.uk (2)

2019-04-02T12:14:54Z

HTTP --> HTTPS, replaced: http://www.bbc.co.uk → https://www.bbc.co.uk (2)

DavidB4-bot: clean up

2016-06-24T23:02:03Z

clean up

Tolkiendil at 17:17, December 5, 2008

2008-12-05T17:17:09Z

Karajou: Reverted edits by Thisaccountisfake (Talk); changed back to last version by FernoKlump

2008-10-09T03:06:26Z

Reverted edits by Thisaccountisfake (Talk); changed back to last version by FernoKlump

Thisaccountisfake: ebaums did it

2008-10-09T03:04:07Z

ebaums did it

FernoKlump: Undo revision 480587 by Rightwong (Talk) vandalism

2008-06-23T20:47:17Z

Undo revision 480587 by Rightwong (Talk) vandalism

Rightwong: Replacing page with 'George Walker Bush is a draft-dodging imbecile.'

2008-06-23T20:45:24Z

Replacing page with 'George Walker Bush is a draft-dodging imbecile.'

CSGuy at 19:29, March 24, 2008

2008-03-24T19:29:53Z

JBuscombe: /* The giraffe's neck and Dawkins' deception */

2008-03-14T12:24:08Z

‎The giraffe's neck and Dawkins' deception

JBuscombe: /* The giraffe's neck and Dawkins' deception */

2008-03-14T12:23:45Z

‎The giraffe's neck and Dawkins' deception

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 ==Diet==
-The giraffe feeds from tall trees, particularly [[Acacia]] and [[Commiphora]]. Their tongues grow up to 18 inches (45&nbsp;cm) 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>
+The giraffe feeds from tall trees, particularly [[Acacia]] and [[Commiphora]]. Their tongues grow up to 18 inches (45&nbsp;cm) 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'' [https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/reallywild/amazing/giraffe.shtml Science and nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
 ==Behaviour==
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ==Reproduction==
-Sexual maturity is reached at age 4–5 years although bulls usually only mate at 8 or more years old. Gestation lasts 15 months, after which a single calf is born, although twins have been recorded very rarely. The female can mate again 5 months after giving birth, and there is no established breeding season. For the first few weeks the calf remains hidden in the shade with the mother returning to it, and later it joins a creche within the herd. Calves grow fast, and are weaned at 18 months, although they start eating solids well before then. Fifty per cent die in their first 6 months, the victims of predators.<ref>''Wildfacts: Giraffe'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/631.shtml Science and Nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
+Sexual maturity is reached at age 4–5 years although bulls usually only mate at 8 or more years old. Gestation lasts 15 months, after which a single calf is born, although twins have been recorded very rarely. The female can mate again 5 months after giving birth, and there is no established breeding season. For the first few weeks the calf remains hidden in the shade with the mother returning to it, and later it joins a creche within the herd. Calves grow fast, and are weaned at 18 months, although they start eating solids well before then. Fifty per cent die in their first 6 months, the victims of predators.<ref>''Wildfacts: Giraffe'' [https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/631.shtml Science and Nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
 ==The giraffe's neck ==

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 ==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. 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 (45&nbsp;cm) 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==
 Giraffes form loosely constructed, scattered herds of up to 20 individuals, with large home range sizes,
-ranging from 3 square miles (5 km<sup>2</sup>) to 616 square miles (992 km<sup>2</sup>)<ref>Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and constantly move from one group to another. Mature males often roam in search of breeding females, travelling up to 190 miles (300 km),<ref> Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and fight for dominance using their necks and buttressed skulls. They have a life span of around 25 years. Giraffes only sleep for a few minutes at a time, and only sleep for a total of 30 minutes each day.
+ranging from 3 square miles (5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) to 616 square miles (992&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)<ref>Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and constantly move from one group to another. Mature males often roam in search of breeding females, travelling up to 190 miles (300&nbsp;km),<ref>Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and fight for dominance using their necks and buttressed skulls. They have a life span of around 25 years. Giraffes only sleep for a few minutes at a time, and only sleep for a total of 30 minutes each day.
 ==Reproduction==
-Sexual maturity is reached at age 4-5 years although bulls usually only mate at 8 or more years old. Gestation lasts 15 months, after which a single calf is born, although twins have been recorded very rarely. The female can mate again 5 months after giving birth, and there is no established breeding season. For the first few weeks the calf remains hidden in the shade with the mother returning to it, and later it joins a creche within the herd. Calves grow fast, and are weaned at 18 months, although they start eating solids well before then. Fifty per cent die in their first 6 months, the victims of predators.<ref>''Wildfacts: Giraffe'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/631.shtml Science and Nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
+Sexual maturity is reached at age 4–5 years although bulls usually only mate at 8 or more years old. Gestation lasts 15 months, after which a single calf is born, although twins have been recorded very rarely. The female can mate again 5 months after giving birth, and there is no established breeding season. For the first few weeks the calf remains hidden in the shade with the mother returning to it, and later it joins a creche within the herd. Calves grow fast, and are weaned at 18 months, although they start eating solids well before then. Fifty per cent die in their first 6 months, the victims of predators.<ref>''Wildfacts: Giraffe'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/631.shtml Science and Nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
 ==The giraffe's neck ==
 [[Image:Dawkins giraffe 1.png|right|thumb|300px|Richard Dawkins' book "Climbing Mount Improbable" (1996) uses this illustration showing an okapi and a giraffe to demonstrate the alleged evolutionary 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.]]
-Until recently, there were ''no'' [[fossil]] links that could demonstrate the gradual [[evolution]] of the long-necked giraffe from the short-necked giraffe. But Nikos Solounias of the New York Institute of Technology has described a transitional fossil from the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Its neck was a perfect intermediate between the short-neck ancestors and their long-neck descendants.<ref> http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg19726451.700-evolution-what-missing-link.html Newscientist </ref> 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>
+Until recently, there were ''no'' [[fossil]] links that could demonstrate the gradual [[evolution]] of the long-necked giraffe from the short-necked giraffe. But Nikos Solounias of the New York Institute of Technology has described a transitional fossil from the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Its neck was a perfect intermediate between the short-neck ancestors and their long-neck descendants.<ref>http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg19726451.700-evolution-what-missing-link.html Newscientist</ref> 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==

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:17, December 5, 2008
Line 33:		Line 33:

	[[Category:Ruminants]]		[[Category:Ruminants]]
−	~~[[Category:Mammals]]~~
	[[Category:Evolution]]		[[Category:Evolution]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:06, October 9, 2008
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	~~VOTE MCCAIN HE IS BAD FOR THE ECONOMY AND DOESN~~'~~T AFRAID OF ANYTHING!~~	+	{{Taxonomy\|image = Giraffe.jpg\|caption = ''Giraffa camelopardalis rothchildi''\|kingdom = Animalia\|phylum = Chordata\|subphylum = Vertebrata\|class = Mammalia\|order = Artiodactyla\|suborder = Ruminantia \|infraorder = Pecora\|family = Giraffidae\|genus = Giraffa\|species = G. camelopardalis}}
		+	The '''giraffe''' is an [[ungulate]] (hoofed) mammal native to [[Africa]]. It is the tallest land animal and can grow up to 20 feet (6 m) in height. In spite of the extraordinary length of its neck, it has just seven [[vertebrae]] in its neck, just like other mammals. The coat is tan with brown patches, and the males use their bony horns and necks for fighting. Currently giraffes are considered to represent a single [[species]] classified into multiple subspecies, although in December 2007 a report in BioMed Central Biology claimed that there may be at least six species of giraffe in [[Africa]].<ref>Brown, David M. ''et al'' (2007) [http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1741-7007-5-57.pdf "Extensive population genetic structure in the giraffe"] BMC Biology</ref>
		+
		+	==Subspecies==
		+	*West African (G.c. peralta)
		+	*Kordofan (G.c. antiquorum)
		+	*Nubian (G.c. camelopardalis)
		+	*Reticulated (G.c. reticulata)
		+	*Rothschild (G.c. rothchildi)
		+	*Masai (G.c. tippelskirchi)
		+	*Thornicroft (G.c. thornicrofti)
		+	*Southern African (G.c. capensis/G.c. angolensis).
		+
		+	==Distribution/Habitat==
		+	Giraffes inhabit sub-Saharan [[Africa]]n grassland with scattered trees. They are becoming increasingly rare in West Africa.
		+
		+	==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. 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==
		+	Giraffes form loosely constructed, scattered herds of up to 20 individuals, with large home range sizes,
		+	ranging from 3 square miles (5 km<sup>2</sup>) to 616 square miles (992 km<sup>2</sup>)<ref>Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and constantly move from one group to another. Mature males often roam in search of breeding females, travelling up to 190 miles (300 km),<ref> Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and fight for dominance using their necks and buttressed skulls. They have a life span of around 25 years. Giraffes only sleep for a few minutes at a time, and only sleep for a total of 30 minutes each day.
		+
		+	==Reproduction==
		+	Sexual maturity is reached at age 4-5 years although bulls usually only mate at 8 or more years old. Gestation lasts 15 months, after which a single calf is born, although twins have been recorded very rarely. The female can mate again 5 months after giving birth, and there is no established breeding season. For the first few weeks the calf remains hidden in the shade with the mother returning to it, and later it joins a creche within the herd. Calves grow fast, and are weaned at 18 months, although they start eating solids well before then. Fifty per cent die in their first 6 months, the victims of predators.<ref>''Wildfacts: Giraffe'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/631.shtml Science and Nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
		+
		+	==The giraffe's neck ==
		+	[[Image:Dawkins giraffe 1.png\|right\|thumb\|300px\|Richard Dawkins' book "Climbing Mount Improbable" (1996) uses this illustration showing an okapi and a giraffe to demonstrate the alleged evolutionary 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.]]
		+	Until recently, there were ''no'' [[fossil]] links that could demonstrate the gradual [[evolution]] of the long-necked giraffe from the short-necked giraffe. But Nikos Solounias of the New York Institute of Technology has described a transitional fossil from the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Its neck was a perfect intermediate between the short-neck ancestors and their long-neck descendants.<ref> http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg19726451.700-evolution-what-missing-link.html Newscientist </ref> 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==
		+	{{reflist\|2}}
		+
		+	[[Category:Ruminants]]
		+	[[Category:Mammals]]
		+	[[Category:Evolution]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Taxonomy|image = Giraffe.jpg|caption = ''Giraffa camelopardalis rothchildi''|kingdom = Animalia|phylum = Chordata|subphylum = Vertebrata|class = Mammalia|order = Artiodactyla|suborder = Ruminantia |infraorder = Pecora|family = Giraffidae|genus = Giraffa|species = G. camelopardalis}}
+VOTE MCCAIN HE IS BAD FOR THE ECONOMY AND DOESN'T AFRAID OF ANYTHING!
-The '''giraffe''' is an [[ungulate]] (hoofed) mammal native to [[Africa]]. It is the tallest land animal and can grow up to 20 feet (6 m) in height. In spite of the extraordinary length of its neck, it has just seven [[vertebrae]] in its neck, just like other mammals. The coat is tan with brown patches, and the males use their bony horns and necks for fighting. Currently giraffes are considered to represent a single [[species]] classified into multiple subspecies, although in December 2007 a report in BioMed Central Biology claimed that there may be at least six species of giraffe in [[Africa]].<ref>Brown, David M. ''et al'' (2007) [http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1741-7007-5-57.pdf "Extensive population genetic structure in the giraffe"] BMC Biology</ref>
-−
-==Subspecies==
-*West African (G.c. peralta)
-*Kordofan (G.c. antiquorum)
-*Nubian (G.c. camelopardalis)
-*Reticulated (G.c. reticulata)
-*Rothschild (G.c. rothchildi)
-*Masai (G.c. tippelskirchi)
-*Thornicroft (G.c. thornicrofti)
-*Southern African (G.c. capensis/G.c. angolensis).
-−
-==Distribution/Habitat==
-Giraffes inhabit sub-Saharan [[Africa]]n grassland with scattered trees. They are becoming increasingly rare in West Africa.
-−
-==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. 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==
-Giraffes form loosely constructed, scattered herds of up to 20 individuals, with large home range sizes,
-ranging from 3 square miles (5 km<sup>2</sup>) to 616 square miles (992 km<sup>2</sup>)<ref>Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and constantly move from one group to another. Mature males often roam in search of breeding females, travelling up to 190 miles (300 km),<ref> Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and fight for dominance using their necks and buttressed skulls. They have a life span of around 25 years. Giraffes only sleep for a few minutes at a time, and only sleep for a total of 30 minutes each day.
-−
-==Reproduction==
-Sexual maturity is reached at age 4-5 years although bulls usually only mate at 8 or more years old. Gestation lasts 15 months, after which a single calf is born, although twins have been recorded very rarely. The female can mate again 5 months after giving birth, and there is no established breeding season. For the first few weeks the calf remains hidden in the shade with the mother returning to it, and later it joins a creche within the herd. Calves grow fast, and are weaned at 18 months, although they start eating solids well before then. Fifty per cent die in their first 6 months, the victims of predators.<ref>''Wildfacts: Giraffe'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/631.shtml Science and Nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
-−
-==The giraffe's neck ==
-[[Image:Dawkins giraffe 1.png|right|thumb|300px|Richard Dawkins' book "Climbing Mount Improbable" (1996) uses this illustration showing an okapi and a giraffe to demonstrate the alleged evolutionary 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.]]
-Until recently, there were ''no'' [[fossil]] links that could demonstrate the gradual [[evolution]] of the long-necked giraffe from the short-necked giraffe. But Nikos Solounias of the New York Institute of Technology has described a transitional fossil from the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Its neck was a perfect intermediate between the short-neck ancestors and their long-neck descendants.<ref> http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg19726451.700-evolution-what-missing-link.html Newscientist </ref> 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==
-{{reflist|2}}
-−
-[[Category:Ruminants]]
-[[Category:Mammals]]
-[[Category:Evolution]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:47, June 23, 2008
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	~~George Walker Bush~~ is a ~~draft~~-~~dodging imbecile~~.	+	{{Taxonomy\|image = Giraffe.jpg\|caption = ''Giraffa camelopardalis rothchildi''\|kingdom = Animalia\|phylum = Chordata\|subphylum = Vertebrata\|class = Mammalia\|order = Artiodactyla\|suborder = Ruminantia \|infraorder = Pecora\|family = Giraffidae\|genus = Giraffa\|species = G. camelopardalis}}
		+	The '''giraffe''' is an [[ungulate]] (hoofed) mammal native to [[Africa]]. It is the tallest land animal and can grow up to 20 feet (6 m) in height. In spite of the extraordinary length of its neck, it has just seven [[vertebrae]] in its neck, just like other mammals. The coat is tan with brown patches, and the males use their bony horns and necks for fighting. Currently giraffes are considered to represent a single [[species]] classified into multiple subspecies, although in December 2007 a report in BioMed Central Biology claimed that there may be at least six species of giraffe in [[Africa]].<ref>Brown, David M. ''et al'' (2007) [http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1741-7007-5-57.pdf "Extensive population genetic structure in the giraffe"] BMC Biology</ref>
		+
		+	==Subspecies==
		+	*West African (G.c. peralta)
		+	*Kordofan (G.c. antiquorum)
		+	*Nubian (G.c. camelopardalis)
		+	*Reticulated (G.c. reticulata)
		+	*Rothschild (G.c. rothchildi)
		+	*Masai (G.c. tippelskirchi)
		+	*Thornicroft (G.c. thornicrofti)
		+	*Southern African (G.c. capensis/G.c. angolensis).
		+
		+	==Distribution/Habitat==
		+	Giraffes inhabit sub-Saharan [[Africa]]n grassland with scattered trees. They are becoming increasingly rare in West Africa.
		+
		+	==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. 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==
		+	Giraffes form loosely constructed, scattered herds of up to 20 individuals, with large home range sizes,
		+	ranging from 3 square miles (5 km<sup>2</sup>) to 616 square miles (992 km<sup>2</sup>)<ref>Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and constantly move from one group to another. Mature males often roam in search of breeding females, travelling up to 190 miles (300 km),<ref> Brown, David M. op cit</ref> and fight for dominance using their necks and buttressed skulls. They have a life span of around 25 years. Giraffes only sleep for a few minutes at a time, and only sleep for a total of 30 minutes each day.
		+
		+	==Reproduction==
		+	Sexual maturity is reached at age 4-5 years although bulls usually only mate at 8 or more years old. Gestation lasts 15 months, after which a single calf is born, although twins have been recorded very rarely. The female can mate again 5 months after giving birth, and there is no established breeding season. For the first few weeks the calf remains hidden in the shade with the mother returning to it, and later it joins a creche within the herd. Calves grow fast, and are weaned at 18 months, although they start eating solids well before then. Fifty per cent die in their first 6 months, the victims of predators.<ref>''Wildfacts: Giraffe'' [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/631.shtml Science and Nature: Animals] BBC</ref>
		+
		+	==The giraffe's neck ==
		+	[[Image:Dawkins giraffe 1.png\|right\|thumb\|300px\|Richard Dawkins' book "Climbing Mount Improbable" (1996) uses this illustration showing an okapi and a giraffe to demonstrate the alleged evolutionary 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.]]
		+	Until recently, there were ''no'' [[fossil]] links that could demonstrate the gradual [[evolution]] of the long-necked giraffe from the short-necked giraffe. But Nikos Solounias of the New York Institute of Technology has described a transitional fossil from the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Its neck was a perfect intermediate between the short-neck ancestors and their long-neck descendants.<ref> http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg19726451.700-evolution-what-missing-link.html Newscientist </ref> 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==
		+	{{reflist\|2}}
		+
		+	[[Category:Ruminants]]
		+	[[Category:Mammals]]
		+	[[Category:Evolution]]

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 ==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 alleged evolutionary 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>
+Until recently, there were ''no'' [[fossil]] links that could demonstrate the gradual [[evolution]] of the long-necked giraffe from the short-necked giraffe. But Nikos Solounias of the New York Institute of Technology has described a transitional fossil from the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Its neck was a perfect intermediate between the short-neck ancestors and their long-neck descendants.<ref> http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg19726451.700-evolution-what-missing-link.html Newscientist </ref> 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==