Mama Giraffes' Spot Patterns Are Passed Down to Their Babies

By Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer | October 3, 2018 04:04pm ET

Can you spot the difference between coat patterns of mother giraffes and their gangly, knobby-kneed babies?

It turns out that similarities are surprisingly easy to find. That's because young giraffes inherit much of the detail in their spots from their mamas, and the distribution and shape of their spots determines how well the baby can hide from hungry predators, researchers recently discovered.

Giraffes' spots are commonly thought to provide protective camouflage for youngsters as they hide in the dappled light cast by vegetation, scientists reported in the new study. But until now, analysis of the animals' spot traits and how they benefit giraffes has been, well, spotty. The researchers decided to do something about that. [All in the Family: Giraffes Are 4 Species (Photos)]

For the study, scientists investigated wild Masai giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchii) at the Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania. Masai giraffes are known for the complexity and individual variation in their spots, according to the study.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/63746-baby-giraffes-spots-inherited-moms.html