Four Giraffe species, not one

http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)30787-4

the study also suggests that the rothschild's giraffe is subsumed into the Nubian Giraffe

 

It is far from new that Rotschildt's are included in Nubian giraffe. For the rest this all seems to build on earlier research, but it is interesting to see what will happen with these findings.

I find it more interesting that Thornicroft's giraffe was found to be conspecific with Masai giraffe and is not even given subspecies status.

 

The remaining genetics frontier is to do a full genomic comparison of all of the subspecies to see if there are any meaningful differences between them that have not been revealed by the mtDNA and nuclear DNA comparisons.

The next step is to do a formal taxonomic review to integrate the genetics and the morphology.

 

So the US giraffes are no longer Rothticulated, they're Nubticulated.

 

The U.S. giraffes are Masai and a hybridized glob of Roth(Nub)reticMasai.

 

Nope. For now on, I'm using the term Nubticulated.

 

Aye, that's the nub.

 

What are the obstacles to these projects? Funding? Access? Technology?

 

I noticed on last night's BBC news that this item was partly presented from Chester Zoo. It said their (Chester's) Giraffes were 'Reticulated.' Chester's are (currently) Rothschild's, so was that just a mistake, or was this a reference to the new systematics?

 

Funding primarily. It's very hard to get funding for basic taxonomy research - really for any conservation-related project funding is usually a primary obstacle.

 

Just Camelopardalis makes all the sense right now.

 

Definately said that about being Reticulated on the version I saw- I said to the T.V. 'no they aren't'.

 

Reticulated giraffe looks like most distinct species than other three species of giraffes, at least from outside - the pattern of shapes on the coat.

And Massai giraffe from outside, looks most simmilar to South African giraffes.

Northern giraffes are with more white color, and that is particularly case with Westernmost extreme, the West African giraffe (wich is so sadly that is not represented in captivity, and can florish in).

 

More evidence for this split: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.4490

 

Intresting video about Giraffe-species / subspecies :

 

I find it somewhat disappointing that they used the hybrid giraffes at the zoo as an example of pure Reticulated...

~Thylo

 

Yet another article on the topic: FOUR distinct species of giraffe, not one, identified by scientists (msn.com)