Giraffidae
Sign in to saveThe Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a recent common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe (between one and eight, usually four, species of Giraffa, depending on taxonomic interpretation) and the okapi (the only known species of Okapia). Both are confined to sub-Saharan Africa: the giraffe to the open savannas, and the okapi to the dense rainforest of the Congo. The two genera look very different on first sight, but share a number of common
AI overview
Giraffidae is a family of mammals that includes giraffes and okapis, two distinctive African animals that share a common ancestor with deer and cattle-like animals. Though these two groups look quite different, they're scientifically grouped together because they share several key features, and understanding their relationship helps us see how diverse mammal families evolved and adapted to different environments across Africa.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderArtiodactyla
- FamilyGiraffidae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Evolutionary background
- Classification
- Characteristics
- Distribution
- Behavior
- Notes
- References
The Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a recent common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe (between one and eight, usually four, species of Giraffa, depending on taxonomic interpretation) and the okapi (the only known species of Okapia). Both are confined to sub-Saharan Africa: the giraffe to the open savannas, and the okapi to the dense rainforest of the Congo. The two genera look very different on first sight, but share a number of common features, including a long, dark-coloured tongue, lobed canine teeth, and horns covered in skin, called ossicones.
==Taxonomy== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Image !! Genus !! Living species |- |175px||Okapia || Okapia johnstoni |- |175px||Giraffa || One species taxonomy: Giraffa camelopardalis Four species taxonomy: Giraffa camelopardalis Giraffa giraffa Giraffa reticulata Giraffa tippelskirchi Eight species taxonomy: Giraffa camelopardalis Giraffa antiquorum Giraffa peralta Giraffa giraffa Giraffa angolensis Giraffa reticulata Giraffa tippelskirchi Giraffa thornicrofti |- |}