Research into an ancestor of the giraffe suggests that the long neck not only served to collect food, but was also used as a ‘weapon’. Remains of the Discokeryx xiezhi – an extinct giraffe that closely resembled the okapi, the giraffe’s modern cousin – reveals that the animal had especially strong neck vertebrae for ‘headbutting’. The neck was long, but not as long as that of a modern giraffe.
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In addition, the giraffe already had a kind of helmet that protected it against strong headbutts from competitors. The helmet later developed into the two horns that modern giraffes have today. “The evolution of the giraffe doesn’t just consist of the extension of the neck,” said paleontologist and co-author Jin Meng (the American Museum of Natural History).
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The giraffe’s diet consisted mainly of grass, according to analyzes of the tooth enamel. The ancestor of the modern giraffe therefore mainly used its long neck to compete with competitors. “The males used their necks for increasingly fierce battles,” said author and paleontologist Shi-Qi Wang. Whoever won could then court a female giraffe. “And so the giraffe’s neck got longer and longer.” The researchers say that the fact that this made it easier for the animal to pick the leaves from trees was a bonus.
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