Werner Ernst Martin Janensch (11 November 1878 – 20 October 1969) was a German paleontologist and geologist .
95-501: Giraffatitan (name meaning "titanic giraffe ") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the late Jurassic Period ( Kimmeridgian – Tithonian stages) in what is now Lindi Region , Tanzania . Only one species is known, G. brancai , named in honor of German paleontologist Wilhelm von Branca , who was a driving force behind the expedition that discovered it in the Tendaguru Formation . Giraffatitan brancai
190-420: A laser scan of the skeleton was used to build a virtual model from simple geometrical shapes, finding a volume of 74.42 m and concluding to a weight of 63 tonnes. In 2008, Gunga revised the volume, using more complex shapes, to 47.9 m. Donald Henderson in 2004 employed a computer model that calculated a volume of 32.398 m and a weight of 25,789 kilograms. Newer methods use bone wall thickness. However, HMN SII
285-425: A 2024 study found that, while males have thicker necks, females actually have proportionally longer ones, which is likely because of their greater need to find more food to sustain themselves and their dependent young. It has also been proposed that the neck serves to give the animal greater vigilance. Werner Janensch Janensch was born at Herzberg (Elster) . In addition to Friedrich von Huene , Janensch
380-460: A back vertebra, a tail vertebra, ribs, a scapula, a possible scapula, a humerus, two ischia and a number of unidentifiable bones. The most important source of Giraffatitan fossils would be "Site S" at one kilometre southwest of the hill. Excavations started on 11 October 1909 and continued well into 1912. In 1909 limb and girdle elements were dug up. During 1910, a cut bank of the Kitukituki river
475-480: A clade also containing Brachiosaurus . The results of their phylogenetic analyses are shown in the cladogram below: Atlasaurus Europasaurus Galvesaurus Vouivria Lusotitan Fusuisaurus Somphospondyli Brachiosaurus Giraffatitan Sonorasaurus Cedarosaurus Venenosaurus Soriatitan The nostrils of Giraffatitan , like the huge corresponding nasal openings in its skull, were long thought to be located on
570-442: A cladistic analysis, finding them to be sister groups . Another 2010 analysis focusing on possible Asian brachiosaurid material found a clade including Abydosaurus , Brachiosaurus , Cedarosaurus , Giraffatitan and Paluxysaurus , but not Qiaowanlong , the putative Asian brachiosaurid. Several subsequent analyses have found Brachiosaurus and Giraffatitan not to be sister groups, but instead located at different positions on
665-416: A difficult time giving birth to young with the same neck proportions as adults. The giraffe's head and neck are held up by large muscles and a nuchal ligament , which are anchored by long thoracic vertebrae spines, giving them a hump. The giraffe's neck vertebrae have ball and socket joints . The point of articulation between the cervical and thoracic vertebrae of giraffes is shifted to lie between
760-466: A disproportionate lengthening of the cervical vertebrae , not from the addition of more vertebrae. Each cervical vertebra is over 28 cm (11 in) long. They comprise 52–54 per cent of the length of the giraffe's vertebral column , compared with the 27–33 percent typical of similar large ungulates, including the giraffe's closest living relative, the okapi . This elongation largely takes place after birth, perhaps because giraffe mothers would have
855-492: A dry savannah emerged across eastern and northern Africa and western India. Some researchers have hypothesised that this new habitat, coupled with a different diet, including acacia species, may have exposed giraffe ancestors to toxins that caused higher mutation rates and a higher rate of evolution. The coat patterns of modern giraffes may also have coincided with these habitat changes. Asian giraffes are hypothesised to have had more okapi-like colourations. The giraffe genome
950-466: A food shortage. Another theory, the sexual selection hypothesis, proposes that long necks evolved as a secondary sexual characteristic , giving males an advantage in "necking" contests (see below) to establish dominance and obtain access to sexually receptive females. In support of this theory, some studies have stated that necks are longer and heavier for males than females of the same age, and that males do not employ other forms of combat. However,
1045-464: A giraffe's skull. However, as males age, their skulls become heavier and more club-like, helping them become more dominant in combat. The occipital condyles at the bottom of the skull allow the animal to tip its head over 90 degrees and grab food on the branches directly above them with the tongue. With eyes located on the sides of the head, the giraffe has a broad visual field from its great height. Compared to other ungulates , giraffe vision
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#17329019929291140-402: A large number of such estimations as the skeleton proved to be an irresistible subject for researchers wanting to test their new measuring methods. The first calculations were again made by Janensch. In 1935, he gave a volume of 32 m for specimen SII and of 25 m for specimen SI, a smaller individual. It is not known how he arrived at these numbers. In 1950, he mentioned a weight of forty tonnes for
1235-455: A larger difference than between Diplodocus and Barosaurus , and therefore argued that the African material should indeed be placed in its own genus ( Giraffatitan ) as Giraffatitan brancai . An important contrast between the two genera is their overall body shape, with Brachiosaurus having a 23 percent longer dorsal vertebral series and a 20 to 25 percent longer and also taller tail. The split
1330-475: A low 0.62 or 0.79, depending on the size estimate used. Like other sauropods, Giraffatitan has a sacral enlargement above the hip which some older sources misleadingly referred to as a "second brain". However, glycogen bodies are a more likely explanation. The bony nasal openings of neosauropods like Giraffatitan were large and placed on the top of their skulls. Traditionally, the fleshy nostrils of sauropods were thought to have been placed likewise on top of
1425-523: A major expedition. He managed to attract the interest of Professor Wilhelm von Branca , the head of the Geologisch-Paläontologische Institut und Museum der Königliche Friedrich-Wilhelm Universität zu Berlin . Von Branca considered it a matter of German national pride that such a project would succeed. He involved the well-connected pathologist David von Hansemann . Von Hansemann founded a Tendaguru Committee headed by Johann Albrecht ,
1520-588: A medium-sized, lightly built body. Giraffokeryx appeared 15–12 mya on the Indian subcontinent and resembled an okapi or a small giraffe, and had a longer neck and similar ossicones . Giraffokeryx may have shared a clade with more massively built giraffids like Sivatherium and Bramatherium . Giraffids like Palaeotragus , Shansitherium and Samotherium appeared 14 mya and lived throughout Africa and Eurasia. These animals had broader skulls with reduced frontal cavities. Paleotragus resembled
1615-517: A sacrum, from quarry "no" 50 articulated tail vertebrae, from GI 16 tail vertebrae and a number of limb bones, and much more material from other places, including many limb elements. The quarries listed above represent only the most important sites where bones were found. In dozens of other Tendaguru locations, finds were made of large single sauropod bones that were referred to the taxon in Janensch's publications but of which no field notes survive so that
1710-401: A single skeleton was being uncovered. Only much later Janensch realised that two skeletons had been present. Skelett SI was represented by a skull, six neck vertebrae and some back vertebrae. Skelett SII was larger but despite its size still a subadult individual. It included skull bones, a series of eleven neck and eleven back vertebrae, ribs, the left scapula, both coracoids, both forelimbs,
1805-467: A study by R.F. Kingham, B. altithorax , B. brancai and B. atalaiensis , along with many species now assigned to other genera, were placed in the genus Astrodon , creating an Astrodon altithorax . Kingham's views of brachiosaurid taxonomy have not been accepted by many other authors. Since the 1990s, computer-based cladistic analyses allow for postulating detailed hypotheses on the relationships between species, by calculating those trees that require
1900-528: A surface of twenty-two square metres. "Site IX", located 1.4 kilometres northeast of the Tendaguru Hill, was opened on 17 August 1909. Among an assemblage of 150 disarticulated dinosaur bones, also two Giraffatitan thighbones were present. The next Giraffatitan quarry was "Site N", at nine hundred metres east of the Tendaguru Hill, excavated in September 1909. It held a single disarticulated skeleton containing
1995-462: A trunk vertebra, ribs, both scapulae, a coracoid, a left humerus and a left fibula. A partial skeleton called "Skelett Y" (skeleton Y) was discovered in quarry "Y". On the basis of its scapula (shoulder blade) and humerus (upper arm bone) Brachiosaurus fraasi was erected, which later turned out to be a junior synonym of B. brancai . From quarry "D" came 23 vertebrae articulated with a sacrum (a hip bone), from quarry "Aa" another 18 vertebrae with
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#17329019929292090-603: Is a basal branch within the Titanosauriformes. The exact status of each potential brachiosaurid varies from study to study. For example, a 2010 study by Chure and colleagues recognized Abydosaurus as a brachiosaurid together with Brachiosaurus , which in this study included B. brancai . In 2009, Taylor noted multiple anatomical differences between the two Brachiosaurus species, and consequently moved B. brancai into its own genus, Giraffatitan . In contrast to earlier studies, Taylor treated both genera as distinct units in
2185-598: Is around 2.9 billion base pairs in length, compared to the 3.3 billion base pairs of the okapi. Of the proteins in giraffe and okapi genes, 19.4% are identical. The divergence of giraffe and okapi lineages dates to around 11.5 mya. A small group of regulatory genes in the giraffe appears responsible for the animal's height and associated circulatory adaptations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently recognises only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies. Carl Linnaeus originally classified living giraffes as one species in 1758. He gave it
2280-468: Is by Werner Janensch , the German scientist who described Giraffatitan , and was the result of an adding error: the correct number should have been 22.16 metres. Mass estimates are more problematic and historically have strongly varied from as little as 15 tonnes (17 short tons) to as much as 78 tonnes (86 short tons). These extreme estimates are now considered unlikely due to flawed methodologies. There are also
2375-404: Is correlated with calf survival. The skin under the blotches may regulate the animal's body temperature, being sites for complex blood vessel systems and large sweat glands . Spotless or solid-color giraffes are very rare, but have been observed. The fur may give the animal chemical defense, as its parasite repellents give it a characteristic scent. At least 11 main aromatic chemicals are in
2470-399: Is evidence supporting that these animals could grow larger; specimen HMN XV2, represented by a fibula 13% larger than the corresponding material on HMN SII, would have measured around 23–26 metres (75–85 ft) long and weighed about 40–48 metric tons (44–53 short tons). In 1906, mining engineer Bernhard Wilhelm Sattler, while travelling, noticed an enormous bone jutting out of the ground at
2565-482: Is flexible and hairy to protect against sharp prickles. The upper jaw has a hard palate instead of front teeth. The molars and premolars are wide with low crowns on the surface. The giraffe has an extremely elongated neck, which can be up to 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) in length. Along the neck is a mane made of short, erect hairs. The neck typically rests at an angle of 50–60 degrees, though juveniles are closer to 70 degrees. The long neck results from
2660-477: Is leaves, fruits, and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other ground-based herbivores cannot reach. Lions , leopards , spotted hyenas , and African wild dogs may prey upon giraffes. Giraffes live in herds of related females and their offspring or bachelor herds of unrelated adult males but are gregarious and may gather in large groups. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", combat bouts where
2755-439: Is more binocular and the eyes are larger with a greater retinal surface area. Giraffes may see in colour, and their senses of hearing and smell are sharp. The ears are movable. The nostrils are slit-shaped, possibly to withstand blowing sand. The giraffe's tongue is about 45 cm (18 in) long. It is black, perhaps to protect against sunburn, and can grasp foliage and delicately pick off leaves. The upper lip
2850-584: Is not the largest specimen known (an assertion supported by its subadult status) but HMN XV2, represented by a fibula 13% larger than the corresponding material on HMN SII, which might have attained 26 metres (85 ft) in length. Gregory S. Paul initially estimated the size of this specimen at 25 metres (82 ft) in total length, 16 metres (52 ft) in total height and 45 metric tons (50 short tons) in body mass, but later moderated at 23 metres (75 ft) in total length and 40 metric tons (44 short tons) in body mass. In 2020, Molina-Perez and Larramnedi estimated
2945-671: Is one of only two living genera of the family Giraffidae in the order Artiodactyla , the other being the okapi . They are ruminants of the clade Pecora , along with Antilocapridae ( pronghorns ), Cervidae (deer), Bovidae (cattle, antelope, goats and sheep) and Moschidae (musk deer). A 2019 genome study (cladogram below) finds that Giraffidae are a sister taxon to Antilocapridae, with an estimated split of over 20 million years ago. Tragulidae [REDACTED] Antilocapridae [REDACTED] Giraffidae [REDACTED] Cervidae [REDACTED] Bovidae [REDACTED] Moschidae [REDACTED] The family Giraffidae
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3040-511: Is relatively short. The skin is mostly gray or tan, and can reach a thickness of 20 mm (0.79 in). The 80–100 cm (31–39 in) long tail ends in a long, dark tuft of hair and is used as a defense against insects. The coat has dark blotches or patches, which can be orange, chestnut , brown, or nearly black, surrounded by light hair, usually white or cream coloured. Male giraffes become darker as they grow old. The coat pattern has been claimed to serve as camouflage in
3135-450: Is subsumed into G. camelopardalis camelopardalis . G. camelopardalis antiquorum (Kordofan giraffe) G. c. camelopardalis (Nubian giraffe) G. c. peralta (West African giraffe) (no subspecies) G. tippelskirchi tippelskirchi (Masai giraffe sensu stricto ) G. t. thornicrofti (Luangwa or Thornicroft's giraffe) G. giraffa angolensis (Angolan giraffe) G. g. giraffa (South African giraffe) The following table compares
3230-531: The Pleistocene . Some biologists suggest the modern giraffes descended from G. jumae ; others find G. gracilis a more likely candidate. G. jumae was larger and more robust, while G. gracilis was smaller and more slender. The changes from extensive forests to more open habitats , which began 8 mya, are believed to be the main driver for the evolution of giraffes. During this time, tropical plants disappeared and were replaced by arid C4 plants , and
3325-836: The Tendaguru formation. It is known from five partial skeletons, including three skulls and numerous fragmentary remains including skull material, some limb bones, vertebrae and teeth. It lived from 145 to 150 million years ago, during the Kimmeridgian to Tithonian ages of the Late Jurassic period. The lectotype material of Giraffatitan brancai is skeleton "Skelett SII", a partial skeleton from Tendaguru. It consists of skull fragments including dentaries, eleven cervical vertebrae, cervical ribs, seven dorsal vertebrae, nearly complete set of dorsal ribs, distal caudal vertebrae, chevrons, left scapula, both coracoids and sternal plates, right forelimb (except
3420-471: The binomial name Cervus camelopardalis . Mathurin Jacques Brisson coined the generic name Giraffa in 1762. During the 1900s, various taxonomies with two or three species were proposed. A 2007 study on the genetics of giraffes using mitochondrial DNA suggested at least six lineages could be recognised as species. A 2011 study using detailed analyses of the morphology of giraffes, and application of
3515-424: The cladogram below: Europasaurus Giraffatitan [REDACTED] Brachiosaurus [REDACTED] Abydosaurus Cedarosaurus Venenosaurus In their 2024 description of Gandititan , Han et al . analyzed the phylogenetic relations of Macronaria, focusing on titanosauriform taxa. They recovered Giraffatitan as the sister taxon to Sonorasaurus , similar to some previous analyses, in
3610-617: The duke of Mecklenburg . Soon it became fashionable to join this committee which counted a large number of prominent German industrialists and scientists among its members. Many of their rich friends donated considerable sums. To lead the expedition, von Branca sent out one of his curators, Werner Janensch , and one of his assistants, Edwin Hennig . Both men arrived in Dar es Salaam on 2 April 1909. The expedition initially employed about 160 native porters , as beasts of burden could not be used because of
3705-461: The fossil record. The giraffe's distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, horn-like ossicones , and spotted coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae , along with its closest extant relative, the okapi . Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands . Their food source
3800-501: The genus Giraffa . It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth . Traditionally, giraffes have been thought of as one species , Giraffa camelopardalis , with nine subspecies . Most recently, researchers proposed dividing them into four extant species due to new research into their mitochondrial and nuclear DNA , and individual species can be distinguished by their fur coat patterns. Seven other extinct species of Giraffa are known from
3895-454: The phylogenetic species concept , described eight species of living giraffes. A 2016 study also concluded that living giraffes consist of multiple species. The researchers suggested the existence of four species, which have not exchanged genetic information between each other for 1 to 2 million years. A 2020 study showed that depending on the method chosen, different taxonomic hypotheses recognizing from two to six species can be considered for
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3990-542: The 1590s. The modern English form developed around 1600 from the French girafe . "Camelopard" / k ə ˈ m ɛ l ə ˌ p ɑːr d / is an archaic English name for the giraffe; it derives from the Ancient Greek καμηλοπάρδαλις ( kamēlopárdalis ), from κάμηλος ( kámēlos ), " camel ", and πάρδαλις ( párdalis ), " leopard ", referring to its camel-like shape and leopard-like colouration. The giraffe
4085-661: The Tendaguru (the "steep hill") near Lindi , in what was then German East Africa , today Lindi Region , Tanzania . In early 1907, his superior Wilhelm Arning in Hannover received a report on the find. Arning again informed the Kommission für die landeskundliche Erforschung der Schutzgebiete , a commission in Berlin overviewing the geographical investigation of German protectorates. The German secretary of state of colonies, Berhard Dernburg , at
4180-445: The animal's ability to smell, which would have helped smell proper vegetation. He also noted that in modern reptiles, the presence of bulbous, enlarged, and uplifted nasal bones can be correlated with fleshy horns and knobby protuberances, and that Brachiosaurus and other sauropods with large noses could have had ornamental nasal crests. Giraffe See taxonomy The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to
4275-432: The canopy. However, scientists disagree about just how much time giraffes spend feeding at levels beyond the reach of other browsers, and a 2010 study found that adult giraffes with longer necks actually suffered higher mortality rates under drought conditions than their shorter-necked counterparts. This study suggests that maintaining a longer neck requires more nutrients, which puts longer-necked giraffes at risk during
4370-513: The coastal town of Lindi. A five-day march brought him to the Tendaguru, where he could confirm that the bones were authentic and dinosaurian. Soon Sattler joined him with a team of native miners who uncovered two large sauropod skeletons which were transported to Germany. Ultimately, these would become the holotypes of the genera Tornieria and Janenschia . Fraas had observed that the Tendaguru layers were exceptionally rich in fossils. After his return to Germany he tried to raise enough money for
4465-645: The composite mounted skeleton seen today. In 1988 Gregory S. Paul published a new reconstruction of the skeleton of B. brancai , highlighting differences in proportion between it and B. altithorax . Chief among them was a distinction in the way the trunk vertebrae vary: they are fairly uniform in length in the African material, but vary widely in B. altithorax . Paul believed that the limb and girdle elements of both species were very similar, and therefore suggested they be separated not at genus, but only at subgenus level, as Brachiosaurus (Brachiosaurus) altithorax and Brachiosaurus (Giraffatitan) brancai . Giraffatitan
4560-401: The danger posed by the tse tse fly . During four field seasons, of 1909, 1910, 1911 and 1912, about a hundred paleontological quarries were opened. Large amounts of fossil material were shipped to Germany. Soon it became evident that apart from Tornieria and Janenschia , other sauropods were present in the layers. One was the medium-sized Dicraeosaurus , a relatively common find. More rare
4655-496: The different hypotheses for giraffe species. The description column shows the traditional nine subspecies in the one-species hypothesis. Also known as Baringo giraffe or Ugandan giraffe Also known as Niger giraffe or Nigerian giraffe Also known as Somali giraffe Also known as Namibian giraffe Also known as Cape giraffe Also known as Kilimanjaro giraffe Also known as Luangwa giraffe or Rhodesian giraffe The first extinct species to be described
4750-472: The elongation of the neck, as it enabled giraffes to reach food that competitors could not. This advantage is real, as giraffes can and do feed up to 4.5 m (15 ft) high, while even quite large competitors, such as kudu, can feed up to only about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high. There is also research suggesting that browsing competition is intense at lower levels, and giraffes feed more efficiently (gaining more leaf biomass with each mouthful) high in
4845-440: The evolutionary tree. A 2012 study by D'Emic placed Giraffatitan in a more basal position, in an earlier branch, than Brachiosaurus , while a 2013 study by Philip Mannion and colleagues had it the other way around. A 2012 study on titanosauriform sauropods by Michael D'Emic placed Giraffatitan as sister to a clade containing Brachiosaurus and a tritomy of Abydosaurus , Cedarosaurus and Venenosaurus as shown in
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#17329019929294940-420: The existence of four distinct species and seven subspecies. A 2024 study found a higher amount of ancient gene flow than expected between populations. The cladogram below shows the phylogenetic relationship between the four proposed species and seven subspecies based on a 2021 genome analysis. The eight lineages correspond to eight traditional subspecies in the one-species hypothesis. The Rothschild giraffe
5035-414: The extensive, weight-reducing airsac systems present in sauropods, and estimated muscle mass, are in the range of 23.3–39.5 tonnes (25.7–43.5 short tons). In 1988, Gregory S. Paul measured a volume of 36.585 m by inserting a specially constructed model into water. He estimated a weight of 31.5 tonnes, assuming a low density. In 1994/1995 a weight of 40 tonnes extrapolating from limb bone circumference. In 1995
5130-466: The eyes, consisting of the bony nares , a number of other openings, and "spatulate" teeth (resembling chisels). The first toe on its front foot and the first three toes on its hind feet were clawed . Traditionally, the distinctive high-crested skull was seen as a characteristic of the genus Brachiosaurus, to which Giraffatitan brancai was originally referred; however, it is possible that Brachiosaurus altithorax did not show this feature, since within
5225-466: The fewest evolutionary changes and thus are the most likely to be correct. Such cladistic analyses have cast doubt on the validity of the Brachiosauridae. In 1993, Leonardo Salgado suggested that they were an unnatural group into which all kinds of unrelated sauropods had been combined. In 1997, he published an analysis in which species traditionally considered brachiosaurids were subsequent offshoots of
5320-538: The first and second thoracic vertebrae (T1 and T2), unlike in most other ruminants, where the articulation is between the seventh cervical vertebra (C7) and T1. This allows C7 to contribute directly to increased neck length and has given rise to the suggestion that T1 is actually C8, and that giraffes have added an extra cervical vertebra. However, this proposition is not generally accepted, as T1 has other morphological features, such as an articulating rib , deemed diagnostic of thoracic vertebrae, and because exceptions to
5415-419: The front of the narial fossa, the depression which extended far in front of the bony nostril toward the snout tip. Czerkas speculated on the function of the peculiar brachiosaurid nose, and pointed out that there was no conclusive way to determine where the nostrils where located, unless a head with skin impressions was found. He suggested that the expanded nasal opening would have made room for tissue related to
5510-438: The front, and that sauropods like Giraffatitan did not have nostrils on top of their heads, but near their snouts. There has also been the hypothesis of various sauropods, such as Giraffatitan , possessing a trunk. The fact that there were no narrow-snouted sauropods ( Giraffatitan included) tends to discredit such a hypothesis. Stronger evidence for the absence of a trunk is found in the teeth wear of Giraffatitan , which shows
5605-425: The fur, although indole and 3-methylindole are responsible for most of the smell. Because males have a stronger odour than females, it may also have a sexual function . Both sexes have prominent horn-like structures called ossicones , which can reach 13.5 cm (5.3 in). They are formed from ossified cartilage , covered in skin, and fused to the skull at the parietal bones . Being vascularised ,
5700-482: The genus Giraffa . That study also found that multi-species coalescent methods can lead to taxonomic over-splitting, as those methods delimit geographic structures rather than species. The three-species hypothesis, which recognises G . camelopardalis , G . giraffa , and G . tippelskirchi , is highly supported by phylogenetic analyses and also corroborated by most population genetic and multi-species coalescent analyses. A 2021 whole genome sequencing study suggests
5795-508: The head, roughly at the rear of the bony nostril opening, because these animals were erroneously thought to have been amphibious, using their large nasal openings as snorkels when submerged. The American paleontologist Lawrence M. Witmer rejected this reconstruction in 2001, pointing out that all living vertebrate land animals have their external fleshy nostrils placed at the front of the bony nostril. The fleshy nostrils of such sauropods would have been placed in an even more forward position, at
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#17329019929295890-597: The humerus, which is probably from a referred specimen from quarry "Ni") and manus, left humerus, ulna and radius, both pubes, partial left femur, right tibia and fibula. "Skelett SI" is a paralectotype, and consists of a skull and six cervical (neck) vertebrae. Originally, the Tedaguru "Skelett S" was thought by Janensch to stem from one animal, and to be very similar to the North American genus Brachiosaurus . Therefore, Janensch described it as Brachiosaurus brancai , choosing
5985-587: The kind of wear that would result from biting and tearing off of plant matter rather than purely grinding, which would be the result of having already ripped the leaves and branches off with a trunk. When describing Brachiosaurus brancai and B. fraasi in 1914, Janensch observed that the unique elongation of the humerus was shared by all three Brachiosaurus species as well as the British Pelorosaurus . He also noted this feature in Cetiosaurus , where it
6080-494: The larger skeleton. In 1962, Edwin Harris Colbert measured a volume of 86.953 m. Presuming a density of 0.9, this resulted in a weight of 78,258 kilograms. Colbert had inserted a museum model, sold to the public, into sand and observed the volume displaced by it. Gregory S. Paul in 1988 assumed that the, in his opinion, unrealistically high number had been caused by the fact that such models used to be very bloated compared to
6175-425: The largest animal ever known. During his long subsequent career (he worked in Berlin from 1914 to 1961), Janensch named several new dinosaur taxa including Dicraeosaurus (1914) and Elaphrosaurus (1920). Janensch's Brachiosaurus were later determined to belong to a distinct, related genus, Giraffatitan . His work at Tendaguru earned him several awards. The Prussian Academy of Sciences honored him with
6270-409: The largest sauropods known from relatively complete material. All size estimates for Giraffatitan are based on the skeleton mounted in Berlin, which is partly constructed from authentic bones. These were largely taken from specimen HMN SII, a subadult individual between 21.8–22.46 metres (71.5–73.7 ft) in length and about twelve metres (forty feet) tall. The often mentioned length of 22.46 metres
6365-486: The light and shade patterns of savannah woodlands. When standing among trees and bushes, they are hard to see at even a few metres distance. However, adult giraffes move about to gain the best view of an approaching predator, relying on their size and ability to defend themselves rather than on camouflage, which may be more important for calves. Each giraffe has a unique coat pattern. Calves inherit some coat pattern traits from their mothers, and variation in some spot traits
6460-470: The mammalian limit of seven cervical vertebrae are generally characterised by increased neurological anomalies and maladies. There are several hypotheses regarding the evolutionary origin and maintenance of elongation in giraffe necks. Charles Darwin originally suggested the "competing browsers hypothesis", which has been challenged only recently. It suggests that competitive pressure from smaller browsers, like kudu , steenbok and impala , encouraged
6555-593: The more complete "Skellet S II" as the lectotype. A famous specimen of Giraffatitan brancai mounted in the Berlin's Natural History Museum is one of the largest, and in fact the tallest, mounted skeletons in the world, as certified by the Guinness Book of Records. Beginning in 1909, Werner Janensch found many additional G. brancai specimens in Tanzania, Africa, including some nearly complete skeletons, and used them to create
6650-523: The nasal openings in the skull were placed high above the eyes, the nostrils would still have been close to the tip of the snout (a study which also lends support to the idea that the tall "crests" of brachiosaurs supported some sort of fleshy resonating chamber). Giraffatitan ' s brain measured about 300 cubic centimetres , which, like those of other sauropods, was small compared to its massive body size. A 2009 study calculated its Encephalization Quotient (a rough estimate of possible intelligence) at
6745-680: The neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear sole responsibility for rearing the young. The giraffe has intrigued various ancient and modern cultures for its peculiar appearance and has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable to extinction. It has been extirpated from many parts of its former range. Giraffes are still found in many national parks and game reserves , but estimates as of 2016 indicate there are approximately 97,500 members of Giraffa in
6840-452: The okapi and may have been its ancestor. Others find that the okapi lineage diverged earlier, before Giraffokeryx . Samotherium was a particularly important transitional fossil in the giraffe lineage, as the length and structure of its cervical vertebrae were between those of a modern giraffe and an okapi, and its neck posture was likely similar to the former's. Bohlinia , which first appeared in southeastern Europe and lived 9–7 mya,
6935-484: The ossicones may have a role in thermoregulation , and are used in combat between males. Appearance is a reliable guide to the sex or age of a giraffe: the ossicones of females and young are thin and display tufts of hair on top, whereas those of adult males tend to be bald and knobbed on top. A lump, which is more prominent in males, emerges in the middle of the skull. Males develop calcium deposits that form bumps on their skulls as they age. Multiple sinuses lighten
7030-473: The precise circumstances of the discoveries are unknown. Partly this reflects a lack of systematic documentation by the expedition. Many documents were destroyed by an allied bombardment in 1943. Part of the fossils were also lost. Nevertheless, most of the skeleton is known. Giraffatitan brancai was first named and described by German paleontologist Werner Janensch in 1914 as Brachiosaurus brancai , based on several specimens recovered between 1909 and 1912 from
7125-442: The pubic bones and the right hindlimb. The sacrum and the tail had been lost to relatively recent erosion. The animal was found in an upright position with vertical limbs, which has been explained by its becoming mired in mud. In early October 1909, "Site ab" was excavated, 1.2 kilometres northeast of the hill. Among disarticulated remains of many sauropods, also two Giraffatitan thighbones were collected. A gigantic possible humerus
7220-594: The real build of the animal. In 1980, Dale Alan Russell et al published a much lower weight of 14.8 tonnes by extrapolating from the diameter of the humerus and the thighbone. In 1985, the same researcher arrived at 29 tonnes by extrapolating from the circumference of these bones. In 1985, Robert McNeill Alexander found a value of 46.6 tonnes inserting a toy model of the British Museum of Natural History into water. More recent estimates based on models reconstructed from bone volume measurements, which take into account
7315-455: The size of the HMN XV2 specimen at 25 metres (82 ft) and 48 tonnes (53 short tons), with a shoulder height of 6.8 metres (22 ft). Giraffatitan was a sauropod, one of a group of four-legged , plant-eating dinosaurs with long necks and tails and relatively small brains . It had a giraffe -like build, with long forelimbs and a very long neck. The skull had a tall arch anterior to
7410-465: The species name in honor of Wilhelm von Branca , then director of the Museum für Naturkunde and a driving force behind the Tendaguru expedition. Later, Janensch realized that the remains pertained to two separate animals, "Skelett SI" (skeleton S1) and "Skelett SII" (skeleton S2) both of which belonged to the same species. Janensch did not designate either of the two as lectotype, and Taylor in 2009 selected
7505-466: The stem of a larger grouping, the Titanosauriformes , and not a separate branch of their own. This study also pointed out that B. altithorax and B. brancai did not have any synapomorphies, so that there was no evidence to assume they were particularly closely related. Many cladistic analyses have since suggested that at least some genera can be assigned to the Brachiosauridae, and that this group
7600-450: The time visited German East Africa accompanied by the industrialist Heinrich Otto . Otto had invited the paleontologist Professor Eberhard Fraas to join him as a scientific advisor. In the summer of 1907, Fraas, already for some months travelling the colony, received a letter from Dr Hans Meyer in Leipzig urging him to investigate Sattler's discovery. On 30 August, Fraas arrived by steamer at
7695-539: The top of the head. In past decades, scientists theorized that the animal used its nostrils like a snorkel , spending most of its time submerged in water in order to support its great mass. The current consensus view, however, is that Giraffatitan was a fully terrestrial animal . Studies have demonstrated that water pressure would have prevented the animal from breathing effectively while submerged and that its feet were too narrow for efficient aquatic use. Furthermore, new studies by Lawrence Witmer (2001) show that, while
7790-574: The traditional Brachiosaurus material it is known only from Tanzanian specimens now assigned to Giraffatitan. The placement of Giraffatitan nostrils has been the source of much debate with Witmer (2001) describing in Science the hypothesized position of the fleshy nostrils in Giraffatitan in as many as five possible locations. Comparing the nares of dinosaurs with those of modern animals, he found that all species have their external nostril openings in
7885-668: The wild. More than 1,600 were kept in zoos in 2010. The name "giraffe" has its earliest known origins in the Arabic word zarāfah ( زرافة ), ultimately from Persian زُرنَاپَا ( zurnāpā ), a compound of زُرنَا ( zurnā , "flute, zurna") and پَا ( pā , "leg"). In early Modern English the spellings jarraf and ziraph were used, probably directly from the Arabic, and in Middle English jarraf and ziraph , gerfauntz . The Italian form giraffa arose in
7980-520: Was Giraffa sivalensis Falconer and Cautley 1843, a reevaluation of a vertebra that was initially described as a fossil of the living giraffe. While taxonomic opinion may be lacking on some names, the extinct species that have been published include: Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3–5.7 m (14–19 ft) tall, with males taller than females. The average weight is 1,192 kg (2,628 lb) for an adult male and 828 kg (1,825 lb) for an adult female. Despite its long neck and legs, its body
8075-506: Was a gigantic form that far surpassed the others in magnitude and that is today known as Giraffatitan . The first quarry with Giraffatitan material was "Site D", located about one kilometre northeast of the Tendaguru Hill and opened on 21 June 1909. It contained a relatively complete skeleton of a medium-sized individual, lacking the hands, the neck, the back vertebrae and the skull. It included an articulated series of twenty-nine tail vertebrae. The other bones were found in close association on
8170-426: Was for many decades known as the largest dinosaur but recent discoveries of several larger dinosaurs prove otherwise; giant titanosaurians appear to have surpassed Giraffatitan in terms of sheer mass. Also, the sauropod dinosaur Sauroposeidon is estimated to be taller and possibly heavier than Giraffatitan . Most size estimates for Giraffatitan are based on the specimen HMN SII, a subadult individual, but there
8265-405: Was gradually deepened, removing a high overburden. To prevent the quarry walls from collapsing, they were covered by a high wooden framework. That year, first several ribs were uncovered and later part of the vertebral column. In October, close to some neck vertebrae a skull and lower jaws were discovered. From 5 June 1912 onwards more neck and trunk vertebrae were found. Initially it was thought that
8360-618: Was likely a direct ancestor of the giraffe. Bohlinia closely resembled modern giraffes, having a long neck and legs and similar ossicones and dentition. Bohlinia colonised China and northern India and produced the Giraffa , which, around 7 million years ago , reached Africa. Climate changes led to the extinction of the Asian giraffes, while the African giraffes survived and radiated into new species. Living giraffes appear to have arisen around 1 million years ago in eastern Africa during
8455-682: Was not as strongly pronounced as in Brachiosaurus and Pelorosaurus . Janensch concluded that the four genera must have been closely related to each other, and in 1929 assigned them to a subfamily Brachiosaurinae within the family Bothrosauropodidae. During the twentieth century, several sauropods were assigned to Brachiosauridae, including Astrodon , Bothriospondylus , Pelorosaurus , Pleurocoelus and Ultrasauros . These assignments were often based on broad similarities rather than unambiguous synapomorphies , shared new traits, and most of these genera are currently regarded as dubious . In 1969, in
8550-627: Was once much more extensive, with over 10 fossil genera described. The elongation of the neck appears to have started early in the giraffe lineage . Comparisons between giraffes and their ancient relatives suggest vertebrae close to the skull lengthened earlier, followed by lengthening of vertebrae further down. One early giraffid ancestor was Canthumeryx , which has been dated variously to have lived 25 to 20 million years ago , 17–15 mya or 18–14.3 mya and whose deposits have been found in Libya. This animal resembled an antelope and had
8645-516: Was originally described by German paleontologist Werner Janensch as a species of the North American sauropod Brachiosaurus from the Morrison Formation , as Brachiosaurus brancai . Recent research shows that the differences between the type species of Brachiosaurus and the Tendaguru material are so large that the African material should be placed in a separate genus. Giraffatitan
8740-591: Was probably Germany's most important dinosaur specialist from the early and middle twentieth century. His most famous and significant contributions stemmed from the expedition undertaken to the Tendaguru Beds in what is now Tanzania . As leader of an expedition (together with Edwin Hennig ) set up by the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin , where he worked as a curator , Janensch helped uncover an enormous quantity of fossils of late Jurassic period dinosaurs , including several complete Brachiosaurus skeletons, then
8835-502: Was raised to full genus level by George Olshevsky in 1991, while referring to the vertebral variation. Between 1991 and 2009, the name Giraffatitan was almost completely disregarded by other researchers. A detailed 2009 study by Taylor of all material, including the limb and girdle bones, found that there are significant divergences between B. altithorax and the Tendaguru material in all elements known from both species. Taylor found twenty-six distinct osteological (bone-based) characters,
8930-496: Was rejected by Daniel Chure in 2010, but from 2012 onward most studies recognized the name Giraffatitan . Between 1914 and the 1990s, Giraffatitan was claimed to be the largest dinosaur known (ignoring the possibly larger but lost Maraapunisaurus ) and thus the largest land animal in history. In the later part of the twentieth century, several giant titanosaurians found appear to surpass Giraffatitan in terms of sheer mass. However, Giraffatitan and Brachiosaurus are still
9025-425: Was too damaged to be salvaged. "Site cc", 2.9 kilometres northeast of the hill, contained a disarticulated Giraffatitan skeleton including neck vertebrae, a trunk vertebra, ribs, a scapula and a humerus. In 1910, another Giraffatitan quarry was opened, "Site Y" at 3.1 kilometres north of the Tendaguru Hill. It contained the skeleton of a medium-sized individual including a braincase, a series of eight neck vertebrae,
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