Table of Contents
- 1 How did giraffes evolve through natural selection?
- 2 How has natural selection led to the adaptation of giraffe populations?
- 3 Why do giraffes have long necks natural selection?
- 4 Why was Lamarck wrong about giraffes?
- 5 What are three examples of natural selection?
- 6 What does fitness mean in terms of natural selection?
- 7 Why are there no short-necked giraffes?
- 8 Are there any short-necked giraffes?
- 9 Why are giraffes with longer necks more likely to reproduce?
- 10 Why did Charles Darwin think giraffes had long necks?
How did giraffes evolve through natural selection?
A Darwinian theory of evolution posits that it was through random variation that some giraffes had longer necks than others. Because they could access food, the giraffes with longer necks were better able to survive and reproduce, with their offspring inheriting their long necks.
How has natural selection led to the adaptation of giraffe populations?
The giraffe’s long neck is a perfect adaptation to the animal’s natural habitat. Clearly the giraffe evolved this uncommon and helpful trait in order to reach those nourishing leaves. That’s how natural selection works.
What best explains the evolution of giraffe necks through natural selection?
Through competition for nutrition, natural selection would have resulted in the evolution of a giraffe able to reach otherwise unexploited resources above the heads of other herbivores. The competing hypothesis is that giraffe necks evolved as a result of sexual selection.
Why do giraffes have long necks natural selection?
It appears obvious: the giraffe’s neck, which can grow to as much as two metres in length, has been selected because it gives its owner exclusive access to the topmost leaves of the trees, and no other animal can reach them. This, then, is an adaptation designed to avoid competition for food with other animals.
Why was Lamarck wrong about giraffes?
Lamarck’s theory suggested that the giraffe’s original short-necked ancestor repeatedly stretched its neck to reach the higher branches to eat. This resulted in the length of the giraffe’s neck increasing over time. It is now commonly accepted that Lamarck’s ideas were wrong.
Why are there no short necked giraffes?
But although their necks can measure up to 1.8 metres (6 feet) alone, they have, like most mammals, just seven neck vertebrae. Fossil evidence shows that, once upon a time, giraffes had much shorter necks. Lamarck’s idea suggested they stretched their necks and passed the stretching down through generations.
What are three examples of natural selection?
Deer Mouse.
What does fitness mean in terms of natural selection?
reproductive success
To an evolutionary biologist, fitness simply means reproductive success and reflects how well an organism is adapted to its environment.
What is natural selection examples?
Natural selection is the process in nature by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more than those less adapted to their environment. For example, treefrogs are sometimes eaten by snakes and birds.
Why are there no short-necked giraffes?
Are there any short-necked giraffes?
Late Miocene fossil giraffes come not only from Africa, but also Eurasia. For example, two species of fossil short-necked giraffe are known from a major site in Spain, close to Madrid.
How did the evolution of the giraffe coincide with natural selection?
Evolution of the giraffe coincides with natural selection as overtime, the giraffes with shorter necks died out and only the giraffes with longer necks could survive and find mates to successfully reproduce with. It has also been reported that, as shown in Picture C, the giraffe and the okapi evolved from a common ancestor referred to as…
Why are giraffes with longer necks more likely to reproduce?
Of course this relates the the size of the giraffes necks again, as the ones with longer necks could not only reach the higher, abundant food source but attracted more mates, and therefore reproduced while the short-necked giraffes did not. There are now nine giraffe subspecies including the Reticulated giraffe and the Nigerian giraffe.
Why did Charles Darwin think giraffes had long necks?
On the other side, Charles Darwin had another theory about the survival of the fittest. He believed that some of the giraffes had a genetic mutation that allowed them to develop longer necks. These individuals were able to eat more, and so they were stronger.
Why are giraffes neck bigger than okapis and deer?
For many years, scientists have looked for an evolutionary explanation for the size of the giraffe’s neck, especially when its ancestors, shared with okapis and deer, lacked this feature. Navigation Menu Home Information Species Humans Multimedia Pictures