<p>Africa has a huge diversity of large mammals, but their evolutionary relationships and movement across the continent over time often remain a mystery. A new scientific study led by researchers from the University of Copenhagen sheds light on longstanding questions about the interplay between evolution and geography in one of these mammals, namely the iconic African bushpig, and helps settle a major question regarding prehistoric human activities shaping biodiversity patterns in Africa.</p>
How did the bushpig cross the strait? A great eurekalert.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurekalert.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
So what if Rudolph can’t really fly? He and the herd have some truly amazing evolutionary adaptations that could inspire new treatments for human diseases
The giraffe s unique phenotype
The giraffeâs unique body shape has intrigued cultures and scientists alike for many centuries. Since ancient times, and certainly since Lamarck and Darwin, it has inspired naturalists to philosophize about the forces that could have led to such an exceptional body shape, says Rasmus Heller, associate professor in computational and RNA biology at the University of Copenhagen.
Whilst impressive to look at visually, the tall stature of the giraffe is also impressive physiologically. Maintaining a stable blood supply to the head without incurring cardiovascular damage, and relaying neural signals across incredibly long nerve fibers, are just two examples. This complex phenotype makes the giraffe something of a Holy Grail to evolutionary biologists, according to Heller. The long-necked creatures have subsequently been the subject of genomic studies that aim to unravel the underlying genotype.