But
genetics now show the lanky creatures are not one species, but rather
four different ones, changing the game for the world's tallest mammals.
The new findings appeared in the journal Current Biology
this week, highlighting the need for further studies of the four
genetically isolated species, according to the Giraffe Conservation
Foundation, which was part of the research.
Until now, the gentle African mammals were all classified under the Giraffa camelopardalis species.
The
new study puts them under four species that include the northern
giraffe, southern giraffe, reticulated giraffe and Masai giraffe.
"The
genetic analysis shows that there are four highly distinct groups of
giraffe, which apparently do not mate with each other in the wild," the
conservation group said. "As a result, they ... should be recognized as
four distinct species."
Little research on giraffes
Scientists have wrongly assumed all giraffes fall under one species because of the limited study of the long-necked animals.
"There
has been relatively little research done on giraffes in comparison to
other large animals, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, gorillas and
lions," the conservation group said.
The limited research has also overlooked one major concern: their declining numbers.
Falling numbers
While
giraffes have not made headlines for their risk of extinction, their
numbers have plummeted over the past three decades, from more than
150,000 to fewer than 100,000, according to the conservation group.
"With
now four distinct species, the conservation status of each of these can
be better defined and in turn hopefully added to the International
Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List in time," Dr. Julian
Fennessy of Giraffe Conservation Foundation said in a statement.
The Red List keeps an inventory of the global conservation status of biological species and flags those at risk of extinction.
The
new discovery will help shed light on the numbers for each species and
help scientists focus on targeted conservation efforts.
Numbers for some of the newly-discovered species already look grim.
Of
the about 100,000 left, only 4,750 are northern giraffes and 8,700 are
reticulated giraffes, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation said.
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