Female Giraffes Drove the Evolution of Long Giraffe Necks

Female giraffes drove the evolution of long giraffe necks in order to feed on the most nutritious leaves.

By Douglas R. Cavener, Penn State
Jun 6, 2024 2:00 PM
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A female giraffe browsing.

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Everything in biology ultimately boils down to food and sex. To survive as an individual you need food. To survive as a species you need sex.

Not surprisingly then, the age-old question of why giraffes have long necks has centered around food and sex. After debating this question for the past 150 years, biologists still cannot agree on which of these two factors was the most important in the evolution of the giraffe’s neck. In the past three years, my colleagues and I have been trying to get to the bottom of this question.

Necks For Sex

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