giraffe

Michael Haggard
Zoology 4th Hour
September 16th, 2011
Journal Review 3

In Context #10 (Fall,2003, pp. 14-19); copyright 2003 by The Nature Institute

	This journal on the evolution of the giraffe, in particular it’s neck, was done by Craig Holdrege. Holdrege is the director of The Nature Institute, and has a Ph.D. in sustainability education from Prescott College in Arizona. Craig has also completed Masters-level, non degree program in phenomenological science in Switzerland, and has a B.A. in philosophy.
	The journal does not specifically have any end results, and is more of an explanation on major hypothesizes about why the giraffe’s neck is so long and why he feels they could be simple speculations.  One of Holdrege’s cited studies was that of Jean-Baptist Lamarck, who stated that the giraffe’s neck is long simply because it is needed to eat high up, as there are few ground plants in their native habitat. Another was of Charles Darwin, who agreed that it was needed for the same reason, but said that any ordinary hoofed quadruped animal could eventually evolve into a giraffe when placed in similar circumstances. Holdrege states that this idea could be false based on a few known facts about giraffes. The ancestors of the giraffe were much heavier and larger than surrounding animals, which would’ve counterbalanced the advantage of having such a long neck. This would mean surrounding animals would die out, while the giraffes would die too if only the highest leaves were available to them. Another fact used is that male giraffes are about a meter taller than females, while newborn and young giraffes are much smaller than adult. This means that the females and young would have died, as the males would be the only ones able to eat the highest branches. Using this information, Holdrege concluded that these well-reputable studies were very speculative, and may not be the truth behind the giraffe’s neck.
	Holdrege’s article could be used by most biologists and zoologists studying the giraffe. It could also be used by a variety of evolutionists, especially those related to Darwin’s theory of natural selection. I learned that the giraffe’s neck has many different uses, rather than simply reaching up to eat from trees.