Pre-historic giraffe may be the largest ruminant mammal to walk the earth. Found within the Himalayan and African landscapes, lived one of the world’s unique mammals. Recent investigation of an ancient giraffe species, Sivatherium giganteum proves that the extinct mammal may have been the world’s largest ruminant (animal able to gain nutrients from plant material) mammal to ever exist. The Sivatherium giganteum is such a unique pre-historic mammal as its features are significantly different to modern giraffe species that we all recognise today. As the Sivatherium giganteum was found by researchers to have a short neck and legs resulting in an unusual bone structure. Previous research of this unique mammal has consistently misinterpreted …show more content…
Researchers also used computer software to give estimate body mass calculations of the ancient mammal. The researchers were able to find a variety of body mass calculations to suggest ranging measurements of the ancient giraffe. The experiment allowed scientists to compare estimated body structure and body mass of the prehistoric …show more content…
Through these results scientists were able to provide evidence of the body shape and structure of the extinct giraffe. The experiment reassured researches that their predicted values of Sivatherium body mass were significantly valid results and suggested the use of fossil reconstruction played a vital role in the understanding of the mammal’s body weight. Scientists were also able to understand that by using a complete body structured giraffe rather than analysing a single bone, a more accurate estimate of the mammal’s body weight was obtained. Through the study, scientists were able to understand the structure of the ancient mammal and suggest possible characteristics of the ancient giraffe species. They found that the species had large bone structures, in particular large shoulders and thicker and shorter leg structures than other extinct and modern giraffes. Researchers suggest that the Sivatherium thicker upper body bone structure allowed for the support of the mammals, large horns located on its head, found on male giraffes. Scientists were able to suggest that through the calculations obtained, Sivatherium was a much larger giraffe in contrast with modern day giraffes, and
The article compares and links the similarities between Rusingoryx and the hadrosaurs. Hadrosaurs lived 65 million years ago and Rusingoryx lived 64.9 million years later. According to the scientist this evolutionary convergence can be explain by the similarities between their lifestyle. Both mammals are herbivorous.
They use their long necks to reach into the trees and pull leaves down for their young. They are herbivores, meaning their diet consist of only vegetation. The responded to Africa having tall trees by adapting a longer neck, which increases their total height so it’s easier to get to the leaves. They do not necessarily have to constantly drink from a water hole, because they get most of the moisture they need from the vegetation. But if needed, The West African Giraffe can drink up to 13 gallons of water in one sitting.
If you thought giraffes were big and tall wait until you meet their relative, the million year-old Sivatherium giganteum, an ancient member of the giraffe family which a recent study has been able to reconstruct and bring to life thanks to the use of modern technology and techniques.
Have you ever wondered what giraffes ancestors looked like? Giraffes are elegant and fascinating animal,they are mostly known for their fascinating distinct features. A giraffe was once a gift fit for an emperor, and the emperor of China decided to give the emperor of India the same gift. Giraffes are the tallest animal averaging 16 to 20ft tall, the second tallest animal is the African elephant which is 8 feet tall. Giraffes are great examples of animals that have adapted to their habitat. Their long necks allow them to reach high to eat off of high trees, while still being able to swing their necks low to drink from the ground. This animal has a calm and easygoing life. Giraffes involved over the years and they will continue to involve in the future.
This article shows readers that there is a way to know more about the past and how animal’s fossils can help understand animal evolution. In this article, the author is giving more opinion that evidence, but the
The scope of this research is to discuss the advancements in modern paleontology, more directly the advancements that have occurred in the last sixty years. These topics include advancements in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, genetics, computer software and programs. It also includes major field discovers related to dinosaurs, hominids and ice age mammals as well the current prevailing theories on dinosaurs.
e) The fossils identified include body fossils for instance bones as well as teeth. These come from the largest birds that has ever lived such as the gigantic thunder bird, along with the wolf-sized Powerful Thylacine and the large leopard-sized Alcoota Marsupial Lion. Furthermore, found at alcoota are fossils of wombats, kangaroos, crocodiles, bandicoots, possums and small
Whenever people look around at God’s miraculous creation, the variety of animals is astounding. There are 5,416 different mammal species. Each mammal was created with a special purpose and way of living. All mammals share similar characteristics, including being warm-blooded, having a skeleton, growing hair, producing milk, and birthing live offspring. Despite sharing these characteristics, mammals differ in size, shape, and habitat. The smallest mammal, the shrew and the largest mammal, the blue whale still have similarities despite their vast size differences. Because there are so many various mammal species, their small differences are used to categorize the mammals into separate mammal orders. Artiodactyla is one out of the 26 mammal
the reading passage and the author both discuss recent research on existance of tissue on dinosaur's fossils. the author states that recent studies shows that dinasour's fossils contain tissue and blood vessels. however, the speaker consider the proposed reasons speciuos and challenges each single one.
Dr. Balanoff and Shuo Wang, using fossils and a big comparative analysis of the animals of today, found the relationship
In the article, “Ancient DNA Reveals Elephant Birds and Kiwi are Sister Taxa and Clarifies Ratite Bird Evolution”, the researchers discuss the relatedness of the certain ratites. Ratites are flightless birds that includes the two birds in focus, the elephant bird and the kiwi. The kiwi is a small bird that is about a foot and a half tall, while the elephant bird can be 6-10 feet tall. Topics they discuss about the relatedness of these two species ranges from previous theories, the dispersion of their common ancestor, and the evolution.
Brongniart’s early studies in zoology and mineralogy coalesced in the geological work that made him famous throughout the scientific world. Cuvier had already begun his series of spectacular reconstructions of extinct mammals from the Paris region; these fossils clearly belonged to several distinct periods, but he needed a reliable clue to their relative ages. He and Brongniart therefore collaborated in surveying the region and determining the order of the strata in which the fossils
The reason giraffes have long necks is because hundreds of years ago, giraffes had short
In forensic science, it 's important to look at all parts of a crime scene, but the body itself is the pièce de résistance, the most direct evidence. In paleontology, finding remains is the goal itself, and studying their death (and life before) is a perfect field between the two. In the same way that a forensic specialist has to look at the shape of the leg bones to determine height, paleoanthropologists investigate the thigh bone of Orrorin tugenensis to determine whether or not it was bipedal. Scientists of both fields have to compensate for deformation, thus arising questions like whether H. floresiensis is its own species of hominin, or simply H. erectus or H. sapiens with a type of cretinism or dwarfism (Palmer, 2010, 124 & 127). Another question of deformation is in the foundation of an entire genus: whether the badly deformed skull of Kenyanthropus platyops is evidence of an actual genus, or a badly deformed Australopithecine or hominin.
(12) When these scans are read into specialized software, scientist and engineers can assemble the entire skeleton of the creature and study its morphology. Scientist can use the date from where the muscles attached and place muscle on the bone in three dimensional space and determine many things. They can determine the range of movement the creature had, how it walked, how it ran, even the speed at which the animal could have moved. The data collected during testing the animal’s speed based off of bone and muscle design combined with measurements of known fossilized track can be used to get a very accurate measurement of the animal’s speed.