Giraffes have an amazing body structure. And if in many animals they are massive bone growths used for protection, then in a giraffe it’s just a few small growths. Why does he need such horns?

The story of the appearance of giraffes

The distant ancestors of the animal appeared during the Miocene period (23-5 million years ago) and descended from deer-like artiodactyls living in Asia, Africa and Europe. For a long time on Earth, there were many species of giraffe-like, but with the onset of the Pleistocene (2.58 million years ago) almost all of them became extinct. Until the 21st century, only two species have survived: giraffes and okapi.

Interesting fact: The first giraffes, living 2 million years ago, had a short neck, but in the process of evolution it stretched out to make it easier for individuals to get food.

Now giraffes live in Africa, in the southeastern savannahs. They are herbivores and feed on the foliage of local trees. Due to predators, their numbers are regularly reduced, but people try to take care of animals, bringing young individuals to reserves and creating conditions for the appearance of offspring.

Why do giraffes have horns?

At the moment, scientists do not have a clear answer why a giraffe needs horns. The most logical theory is that this element of the head went to the animal from distant ancestors. Like most ungulate herbivores, the progenitors of giraffes had bone growths on their heads used for protection. But because of the long neck, it was inconvenient for the creatures to lower their heads forward, and a strong collision could damage the spine.And in the process of evolution, the horns decreased as unnecessary.

The only where modern giraffes use horns is mating. The males during the battle for the female can use them as weapons and butt the opponent. Females have the same developed horns, but they do not use them in any way. Some individuals have a large growth on their forehead, which could be mistaken for a third horn.

Scientists suggest that the horns got a giraffe from distant ancestors. With such a long neck, it is not easy to defend with the help of the head, so gradually the bone growths over the forehead decreased in size and became covered with hair. Now males use them only in mating games.