Does tooth wear influence ageing? A comparative study across large herbivores
We test whether the intensity of tooth wear influences the strength of actuarial senescence across species of large herbivores. We collected from the literature data on tooth wear in the wild (measured as the slope of the regression of log-transformed M1 crown height on age), longevity (measured as the age at which 90% of individuals […]
Evolution, Ecology and Biochronology of herbivore associations in Europe during the last 3 million years
A study of the evolution of the herbivore community during the last three million years in Europe is proposed in this paper. The study includes the analysis of evolutionary changes of systematic and ecological structure (taxa diversity, body mass, diet specializations) related both with eco-physiological and environmental factors. Several biochronological phases can be envisioned. The […]
Body surface area and thermoregulation in giraffes
One of several hypotheses for the evolution of the shape of giraffes is that it evolved to maximize heat loss via a high surface area to mass ratio. We calculated the surface area (SA) of the head, neck, trunk and upper legs, and the lower legs in 60 giraffes of both sexes and a body […]
Effects of body size on the diurnal activity budgets of African browsing ruminants
We compared the diurnal activity budgets of four syntopic species of African browsing ruminant that differ widely in body size. These were concurrently studied through all phases of the seasonal cycle, in the same area, using the same methods. We tested five predictions from the literature on how body size is expected to influence the […]
Social and demographic influences on the feeding ecology of giraffe in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia: 1973–2014
Body size influences metabolic rate, which impacts feeding ecology. Body mass differs by sex in size-dimorphic species, such as giraffes, and also by age. Giraffes reside in a fission–fusion social system, which influences feeding ecology due to frequent changes in group size and composition. We analysed 40 years of feeding records collected from a population […]
Scaling of the Appendicular Skeleton of the Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Giraffes have remarkably long and slender limb bones, but it is unknown how they grow with regard to body mass, sex, and neck length. In this study, we measured the length, mediolateral (ML) diameter, craniocaudal (CC) diameter and circumference of the humerus, radius, metacarpus, femur, tibia, and metatarsus in 10 fetuses, 21 females, and 23 […]
Large predators and their prey in a southern African savanna: a predator’s size determines its prey size range
A long‐term (13‐year) data set, based on > 4000 kills, was used to test whether a sympatric group of large predators adheres to the theoretical predictions that (1) mean prey body size and (2) prey diversity increase as functions of predator body size. All kills observed by safari guides are documented routinely in Mala Mala Private Game […]
Growth patterns and masses of the heads and necks of male and female giraffes
We have analyzed the growth patterns of the head and neck of 65 male and 71 female giraffes from two different populations of giraffes, and also the dimensions of 19 different components of the head and neck in 8 female and 13 male giraffes, to establish if they showed sexual dimorphism and if sexual selection […]
Carcass composition of the giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa
Culled giraffes Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa were dissected into standard cuts as far as possible and their mass was determined. Carcass composition was studied by means of buttock dissections and meat quality by means of muscle fiber diameter measurements. Mean total body mass of adult males was 1 174,3 +/- 31,5 kg and of adult females […]