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Study: Giraffes are more than one species
Los Angeles (UPI) Dec 22, 2007 A new study suggests there may be at least six species of giraffe in Africa, rather than one as they are currently classified. "Lumping all giraffes into one species obscures the reality that some kinds of giraffe are on the brink" of extinction, said David Brown, a geneticist and the study's lead author. "Some of these populations number only a few hundred individuals and need immediate protection." Today, there are fewer than 100,000 giraffes, whose numbers have seen a 30 percent drop in the last decade, Brown told the BBC. Using molecular technology, Brown's team determined at least six groups of giraffes -- the world's tallest animals -- are reproductively isolated and different enough from each other to be classified as species, rather than subspecies as they now are classified. Brown, who teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles, said giraffes in need of protection include the Nigerian giraffe, which number about 160, and the Rothschild giraffe, which has been reduced to only a few hundred. Related Links Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com
Evolutionary Study Shows Beetles Are Life's 6-Legged Survivors
London, UK (SPX) Dec 21, 2007Most modern-day groups of beetles have been around since the time of the dinosaurs and have been diversifying ever since, says new research out in Science. There are approximately 350,000 species of beetles on Earth, and probably millions more yet to be discovered, accounting for about 25% of all known life forms on the planet. The reason for this large number of beetle species has been debated by scientists for many years, but never resolved. |
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