The latest study reveals that four giraffe wanders in Africa. So it's time to renew knowledge of these long-lasting creatures.
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To date, there has been a general belief that there are only nine subspecies with giraffes. But the authors of the latest study say they reveal the obvious genetic differences that exist between four different herbivorous long-necked herbs - northern giraffes, southern giraffes, volcanic giraffes and Masai giraffes.
"We were surprised at the genetically different species of these individual giraffes, there was no genetic mixing," the study said on September 8. published by Axel Janke, co-author of Current Biology.
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Giraffes have been missed
Perhaps curious, how has it happened here that such tremendous creatures are so poorly investigated? The answer is quite simple: the world has focused its attention on endangered and falconry-ravaged elephants, lions, ramparts, and so on. "There are only 400 scientific papers about giraffes written in the world, while there are more than 20,000 white witches," said evolution biologist Janke of the Senckenberg Center for Biodiversity and Climate Research in Germany.
In the last 15 years, this world population has drastically reduced. Scientists call this process "silent disappearance"
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At present, there are two types of giraffes - the northern and turquoise giraffes - at greatest risk. The northern giraffes, which consists of three sub-species - Kordofan, Nubian and West Africa, currently connect only 5,000 individuals. The Kordofan giraffes living in the unstable Central African region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are hunted for their tails, which are considered a symbol of exclusive status.
Scientists are worried that the giraffes of the net have been hit by one of the worst defects. The population of these animals has dropped by as much as 80% over the past decades, which has resulted in the destruction of their habitats and illegal hunting.
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"It remains to be hoped that the latest research will draw attention to these unique and very important animals. They are the most iconic icon of the African continent, not living anywhere else in the world, "said O'Connor ecologist from the San Diego Zoo, collaborating with the Giraffes Fund.
