Scientific commentary
Heavily Browsed Trees Had a Different Defence Profile
A tree’s leaves and spines can change the work of feeding. Comparing browsed trees revealed several defensive differences, but not a universal chemical response.
Giraffe research, explained.Page 11
The questions, fieldwork and discoveries behind giraffe science. Each story explains an original study, what it found and what remains uncertain.
Research stories
91–99 of 179 stories
Scientific commentary
A relocated giraffe took a winding 894-kilometre route home
One tracked return showed why release day is only the beginning of a translocation’s outcome.
Scientific commentary
A Small Fossil Giraffid With Headgear Like a Giant
Bramiscus combined familiar headgear with a different place on the giraffid family tree.
Scientific commentary
Giraffe Placental Cells Carry Different Cargo by Location
The same specialised cell type was spread through the tissue, but its stored proteins were not.
Scientific commentary
The Hidden Salivary Anatomy Behind a Giraffe’s Mouth
Behind the mobile lips and tongue lies a network whose layout cannot be inferred from outward appearance.
Scientific commentary
A Giraffe Coronavirus Crossed Into Cattle in an Experiment
The virus resembled bovine coronavirus in its sequence and laboratory behavior. A calf experiment tested something a family tree alone could not.
Scientific commentary
How Male Giraffes Collect a Reproductive Scent Signal
A male’s lip curl follows a short exchange with a female—and a direct route from her urine to a specialised sensory organ.
Scientific commentary
A Giraffe Calf’s Social Circle Resembled Its Mother’s
Preferred female companions were associated with a wider pattern involving their calves in a small introduced population.
Scientific commentary
Male Giraffes Shift Between Short Courtship Phases
Repeated observations showed that a mature bull’s reproductive activity could change faster than its size or appearance.