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Giraffes May Be Six Separate Species

Posted by kdawson on from the neck-and-neck dept.

The BBC reports on research, published in BMC Biology, pointing to the possibility that there may be at least six species of giraffe in Africa. Quoting: "'Using molecular techniques we found that giraffes can be classified into six groups that are reproductively isolated and not interbreeding,' David Brown, the lead author of the study and a geneticist at... UCLA told BBC News. 'The results were a surprise because although the giraffes look different, if you put them in zoos, they breed freely.'"

5 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. Same thing with people... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Even though we all look different (eg: skin colour, height, "width", etc), if you put us in zoos, we will breed freely also

    1. Re:Same thing with people... by Beached · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yah, it's called College

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      ---- aut viam inveniam aut faciam
    2. Re:Same thing with people... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, its also called low income housing...

  2. Re:Contradiction? by ferd_farkle · · Score: 5, Informative

    Reproductive isolation is a major characteristic of speciation. Lions and tigers, horses and donkeys, etc are different species, but under unnatural conditions may mate and even produce offspring. Depending on how unrelated the species are, the offspring may or may not be viable.

    Speciation is not as cut-and-dried as you might think. Reproductively isolated populations diverge more and more over time, and the speciation becomes more and more pronounced.

  3. in that case ... by ThirdPrize · · Score: 5, Funny

    the people of texas are a completely different species to the ones in New York and California.

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    I have excellent Karma and I am not afraid to Troll it.