The structure of the masseter muscle in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
In the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), the masseter muscle was divided into several layers. The superficial and more medial (second) tendinous sheets of the masseter muscle fused with each other at the dorso-caudal part and a fleshy portion was located between these tendinous sheets. In the rostral part, the most superficial tendinous sheet turned around as […]
Scene From Above: Retinal Ganglion Cell Topography and Spatial Resolving Power in the Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is a browser that uses its extensible tongue to selectively collect leaves during foraging. As the tallest extant terrestrial mammal, its elevated head height provides panoramic surveillance of the environment. These aspects of the giraffe’s ecology and phenotype suggest that vision is of prime importance. Using Nissl-stained retinal wholemounts and stereological […]
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 […]
Observations on the giraffe central nervous system related to the corticospinal tract, motor cortex and spinal cord: what difference does a long neck make?
The mammalian corticospinal tract is known to contain axons that travel from the cerebral cortex to various levels of the spinal cord and its main function is thought to be the mediation of voluntary movement. The current study describes neuroanatomy related to the corticospinal tract of the giraffe. This animal presents a specific morphology that […]
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 […]
A comparison of the bone density and morphology of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and buffalo (Syncerus caffer) skeletons
Unique features of giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis anatomy are its long neck and slender long limbs. Its neck vertebrae should be light and have low density to make it manoeuvrable while the limb bones should have high density to provide the strength to support the giraffe’s mass. Giraffes also have a very high vertical growth rate, […]
Gross Anatomy of the Intestine in the Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
We describe the macroscopic anatomy of the intestine of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). The small intestine was divided into duodenum, jejunum and ileum as usual. The caecum was attached to the ileum by a long ileocaecal fold, and to the proximal ansa of the ascending colon by a caecocolic fold. The ascending colon was the […]
The development of the reproductive organs of the male giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis
The reproductive organs of the male giraffe differ little in morphology and histology from those of other ungulates. There is some indication that gonadal hypertrophy occurs in late fetal life. Spermatogenesis begins at 3-4years of age and coincides with a rapid increase of testicular weight and seminiferous tubule diameter. In the fetal testis the main […]
Enamel hypoplasia provides insights into early systemic stress in wild and captive giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Enamel hypoplasia, a developmental tooth defect, provides a permanent record of systemic stress during early life. The incidence and distribution of linear enamel hypoplasia has been used by anthropologists and palaeontologists to assess the health status of past populations but has not been applied by wildlife biologists studying extant animals. This study investigates enamel hypoplasia […]
Umbilical cord stump retention and age estimation of newborn giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)
The umbilical cord stump is a conspicuous characteristic used to identify recently born giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) (Foster & Dagg, 1972; Langman, 1977; Leuthold & Leuthold, 1978; Pratt & Anderson, 1979; Pellew, 1981; Dagg & Foster, 1982). However, there is surprising disagreement over the length of time that the umbilical stump remains attached, with reports varying […]