Africa | Four times more species of giraffes that we thought

(Washington) The giraffes represent a majestic spectacle in Africa. However, with their long neck and their distinctive spots. Nevertheless, It turns out now that there are four different giraffes on the continent. For example, according to a new scientific analysis published Thursday. Nevertheless,

The researchers previously considered that all the African giraffes belonged to a single species. In addition, New data. However, genetic studies have conducted a working group from the International africa | four times more Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN) to divide the largest terrestrial mammal into four groups: northern giraffes, reticulated giraffes, Masai giraffes and southern giraffes. Nevertheless,

Key studies have been published in the past decade. Meanwhile, highlighting significant differences between the four species, said Michael Brown, IUCN researcher at Windhoek, Namibia, who led the analysis. Consequently,

Naming the different giraffes is important because “each species has different populations, threats and conservation needs,” he said. Furthermore,

“Put all the giraffes in the same basket blurs the tracks. In addition, »»

The northern giraffes. whose distribution area includes certain parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, are threatened by political instability and poaching. The Masai giraffes of Kenya. Tanzania undergo the pressure of africa | four times more the loss of habitat, the open savannas being converted to pastures and the fields for livestock.

To consider four species of giraffes “is an absolutely judicious decision. and it was expected for a long time,” said Stuart Pimm, an environmentalist at Duke University, who did not participate in the analysis.

If. in the past, the researchers scrutinized the tasks of giraffes, the new categories called on more recent methods, in particular an in -depth analysis of genetic data and studies highlighting key anatomical differences, such as the shape of the skull.

What looks like horns on the giraffes’ front is actually permanent bone protuberances of the skull. different from the deer woods that fall each year.

Over the past 20 years. scientists have also collected genetic samples of more than 2000 giraffes across Africa to study differences, reported Stephanie Fennessy, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, a non -profit organization that has contributed to research.

Previously. the sequencing of each genome cost tens of thousands of dollars, but technological progress brought this cost to around US $ 100, making it more accessible to associations and conservation groups, she added.

According to demographic estimates of the Foundation. the most threatened giraffe is the northern giraffe, with africa | four times more only around 7000 individuals remaining in the wild.

The southern giraffes are the most populous species, with around 69,000 individuals. There are around 21,000 giraffes reticulated in the wild and 44,000 giraffes Masai, according to the foundation.

“If all the giraffes are not identical, we must protect them individually,” she concluded.

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