ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Newly described genus hints at the evolutionary roots of the giraffe

Long neck, long history.

Alexandru MicubyAlexandru Micu
November 1, 2017
in Biology, News, Science
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

A new, extinct large giraffid genus has been described by Spanish researchers, offering a new glimpse into the evolutionary path of the long-necked herbivores.

Decennatherium.
Skeletal sketch, size comparison to modern human, and artist’s reconstruction of the newly described genus. 

Modern giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) stand out instantly, with their tall necks and bony osccicones — the horn-like protuberances on the giraffe’s head. By virtue of this alone, you could think they’ve had a completely different evolutionary path than other animals, but that’s not true. They’re part of a larger family of ruminants known as Giraffidae and their closest living relative is the okapi (Okapia johnstoni), which is a pretty regular looking animal.

However, knowing its family ties today doesn’t mean we know how the giraffe came to be. Researchers think that Giraffidae have been around since the Miocene epoch, with over 30 extinct species found and described up to now. A lack of fossilized skulls, the paper notes, has impeded biologists from establishing the evolutionary relationships between them.

Getting ahead

The new genus, named Decennatherium rex sp. nov., could help bridge some of those gaps in our understanding. It was described by a team led by María Ríos from the National Museum of Natural History, Spain from a fossilized skeleton that is “unusually” complete. Although not yet dated, stratigraphic position suggests the fossil originates sometime in the late Miocene.

The team performed a full phylogenetic analysis on Decennatherium and follow it up with the “the first phylogenetic reconstruction of the [Graffidae] group”. They report that the genus could represent the most basal branch (i.e. common ancestor) of a clade of now-extinct giraffid groups, and is likely the earliest-evolving example of the four osscicone layout seen today, with two over the eyes and two larger, ridged ones at the back of the head. This layout is shared by all species in the clade, lending weight to the hypothesis that Decennatherium is the extinct clade’s common ancestor or at least very close to it in evolutionary terms.

The clade includes Sivatheres, the largest known giraffid, and Samotheres, whose appearance was somewhere in between that of okapis and giraffes. Bryan Shorrocks, a professor in the Environment Department at the University of York, notes in his book The Giraffe: Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour that a subspecies of the latter, S. africanum, is a strong candidate as the ancestor of the modern giraffe.

The inclusion of the Decennatherium in the sivathere-samothere clade would extend its timespan back to the early Miocene and its range over the Iberian peninsula, the team notes, which would make it the most successful and long-lived clade among the giraffids.

RelatedPosts

Not so picky and coy after all: Female animals also have mating contests. They’re just more subtle than males
Very rare waterfall-climbing fish can walk like a salamander
Bizarre, 100-million-year-old insect trapped in amber might be from a new branch of life
New paper explains why predatory dinosaurs walked on two feet while mammals stayed on all fours

The paper “Evolution and systematics of the late miocene spanish Giraffidae (Mammalia, Ruminantia, Pecora)” has been published on the scientific repository RODERIC.

Tags: Decennatheriumevolutiongiraffe

ShareTweetShare
Alexandru Micu

Alexandru Micu

Stunningly charming pun connoisseur, I have been fascinated by the world around me since I first laid eyes on it. Always curious, I'm just having a little fun with some very serious science.

Related Posts

Anthropology

Women Rate Women’s Looks Higher Than Even Men

byTudor Tarita
2 weeks ago
Future

Your smartphone is a parasite, according to evolution

byRachael L. Brown
4 weeks ago
Genetics

Artificial selection — when humans take what they want genetically

byShiella Olimpos
4 weeks ago
Biology

The First Teeth Grew on the Skin of 460-Million-Year-Old Fish and Were Never Meant for Chewing

byTibi Puiu
1 month ago

Recent news

What’s Seasonal Body Image Dissatisfaction and How Not to Fall into Its Trap

June 28, 2025

Why a 20-Minute Nap Could Be Key to Unlocking ‘Eureka!’ Moments Like Salvador Dalí

June 28, 2025

The world’s oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it’s not Australian

June 27, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.