Question about evolution.

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by A4Ever, Jul 30, 2002.

  1. A4Ever Knows where his towel is Registered Senior Member

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    1,234
    OK... sticking my neck out here...

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    I believe a teacher once told me that giraffes didn't always have long necks, but that at first they were more like okapis. Then they wanted to reach higher leaves, and so over time they grew a longer neck.

    My questions:

    - is this correct?

    - why don't we find fossiles of all the forms between the 'okapi' and the giraffe?

    - How long did it take for the giraffe to develop the long neck?

    Thanks.
     
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  3. Eflex tha Vybe Scientist Registered Senior Member

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    As far as I understand Evolution, the scenario you described would work as follows:

    There were many differnet species of "pre-giraffe"

    Some had long necks,
    some had medium length necks,
    some had short necks.

    The ENVIRONMENT that these "pre-giraffes" lived in had vegetation located in very tall trees.

    The long necked "pre-giraffes" were better suited to thier ENVIRONMENT and therefore were able to feed, survive and reproduce.

    The medium necked/shot necked giraffes were forced to move on or DIE OUT as a result of thier inability to compete in this hostile environment.
     
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  5. A4Ever Knows where his towel is Registered Senior Member

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    So... if for some reason there weren't a couple of versions of the pre-giraffe, the long neck never would have happened?

    So.... just out of nowhere some pre-human was born without the protection thingy before his eyes, and all the others just died? (I thought that was where the eye pit thingy came from)

    There is no answer till now about the lack of pre-giraffe fosiles.
     
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  7. Boris2 Valued Senior Member

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    It is not so much versions as differences within a species, as there are tall humans, short humans and everything in between.

    If for some reason the enviroment favoured the reproduction of tall humans then this form would tend to dominate to the detriment of the short.

    No. The variations were already in the genome, due to "mutations" in the genes.
     
  8. A4Ever Knows where his towel is Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,234
    My questions are answered, thank you all for your time and trouble.
     

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