With its incredibly long neck, giraffe looks like no other animal on Earth. But how did this mammal come to get its famously huge neck? Well, scientists have been asking themselves this question for centuries.
The most commonly believed answer is that the massive neck – which measures on average 180 centimeters and weighs about 270 kilograms – evolved to allow the animal to reach the leaves of tall trees. British scientist Charles Darwin was one of the first people to propose this idea in the 1800s.
Yet, there are other theories.
According to a paper published in September in the Journal of Arid Environments, the giraffe’s neck evolved to increase its surface-area-to-volume ratio (表面积—体积比). Because the animal’s neck increases its body’s surface area, it makes it easier for it to keep cool, the paper’s authors wrote.
This phenomenon can be seen everywhere in nature. For example, this is why elephants have such large ears.
Meanwhile, some believe that competition is the answer.
A 1996 study by two South African zoologists argued that the male giraffes with the biggest necks are the ones who “win” access to females to reproduce, as they are better at fighting, meaning that their long necks are passed down through the generations.
So, it seems like there’s still no definite answer to the question.