Giraffe's Genetics Reveal Four Species, Not Just Only One

The researchers thought the giraffe has only one species. In contrast, a new genetic study reveals that there are actually four species of giraffe.

The findings of the study were described in the journal Current Biology. The researchers discovered in their analyses that giraffes are not a homogeneous taxon but are deeply structured into different genetic groups. The four species of giraffe that are discovered are the Masai giraffe, southern giraffe, northern giraffe and the reticulated giraffe.

"We were very surprised ourselves. We didn't expect to find species," said Axel Janke, one of the authors of the study and a professor at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre in Germany. He further said that the sub-species were genetically very different and separate. "I'd never seen that in a population study (of a species) before."

The study started when Julian Fennessy, the co-director and co-founder of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation in Namibia approached Janke to conduct genetic tests to know how similar giraffes in distinct in parts of Africa are to each other. They collected tissue from 190 giraffes and analyzed their samples' DNA. They examined the mitochondrial DNA, which is the DNA passed down from mothers to their offspring and the seven particular genetic markers, which are pieces of genetic differences that indicate is populations belong to different species. With the result of the genetic differences, the researchers claim that there are four species of giraffes and not only one as previously thought by scientists, according to The Verge.

The species have different features and live in different areas in Africa. The Masai giraffe is darker with patches separated by unbalanced, light brown lines all the way down to their legs. On the other hand, the reticulated giraffe has brown-orange patches separated by bright, thick white lines. The researchers said that they need to fully understand how the species behave differently. These include the mating systems, adaptation to different climates and what else sets them apart.

The study is significant for the conservation of the giraffe. It also shows that some of the giraffe species are already endangered. The population of giraffes numbered to as few as 80,000 remaining in Africa. That is about 40 percent less than 15 years ago. Giraffe is also listed as "least concern" on the IUCN Red List, which suggests that conservation status of the said tallest animal.