Necks
What are the tallest mammals on Earth?
Giraffes
What is the main purpose of a giraffe’s dots?
Camouflage
How many giraffes have the blue tongue?
All giraffes have a blue tongue.
Based on what and where giraffes eat, why might the tongue affect survival?
The tongue is exposed to UV radiation for long periods of time, so it needs protection.
Why are Giraffes necks so darn long?
They allow for them to reach food other animals can't reach.
What do the spots help the giraffe release?
Heat
Where do they get the blue tongue from?
They inherited it from their parents.
Since the tongue needs more protection from UV, its cells have more of what pigment, making it blue?
Dark melanin, or Eumelanin.
Why are longer necks more common?
Females tend to choose mates with longer necks, since the males use their necks to fight over females.
A giraffe's spots are similar to a human's ____?
Fingerprints
Because it is inherited and because most giraffes have it, what does that show about it?
It's an adaptation and there is very little variation in the genes that code for it.
Knowing the things from the 1st 2 questions, how might the tongue color affect survival and reproduction?
It is colored like that to protect the folate from UV radiation.
How many bones are in a giraffe's neck?
Seven bones
On average, how many spots does a giraffe have?
200 spots
Since it is an adaptation, will it affect the survival and reproduction of the organism?
Yes, although not all adaptations do.
What might happen to Vit. D levels if the giraffe is moved closer to the poles?
Because of the extra melanin, they wouldn't get enough Vit. D.