Animals with long necks have always fascinated humans, and the giraffe is undoubtedly one of the most peculiar and well-known species.

With its long neck and tall stature, giraffes have evolved to thrive in their natural habitat, where they have no natural predators, except for lions that hunt them.

Giraffe calves are born 1.5 meters tall, and as adults, they can reach a height of 6-8 meters. Their extraordinary necks allow them to eat the branches and leaves of plants two stories high when they stretch their necks. There are nine subspecies of giraffe according to the traditional classification, and seven subspecies according to the latest classification.

The evolutionary drive behind the giraffe's long neck has been a topic of much debate among scientists. The famous debate between Darwin's theory of evolution and Lamarck's doctrine centers on the giraffe's long neck.

Lamarck believed that the giraffe's long neck was the result of frequent use and that evolved traits could be passed on genetically. In contrast, Darwin's theory of evolution discusses the emergence of long necks in giraffe populations due to genetic mutations, where long-necked individuals were more advantageous in the ensuing competition.

However, recent research suggests that the evolution of giraffes' long necks was not just about eating taller leaves or shoots, but it was also related to the competition between males for the right to mate. Scientists have discovered an early species of giraffe in a 17-million-year-old stratum in the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang.

The scientists found a disc-shaped horn on the fossilized head of an early giraffe, which is unusually hard. At the same time, its cervical vertebrae close to the head are thick and hard, and the connecting joints are very complex and stronger than those of all mammals.

With the help of kinetic simulations, scientists found that these characteristics of early giraffes are very conducive to their high-speed hedging, making it easier for males to compete with each other for the right to mate.

Giraffes have spent millions of years making their necks longer and longer, and have likewise earned themselves a more marginal ecological niche. However, being marginal doesn't mean being disadvantaged. Tall giraffes have access to food resources in higher positions, an ability that many other herbivores do not have.

The giraffe is a unique and fascinating animal with an extraordinary neck that has evolved over millions of years. While the debate over the evolutionary drive behind the giraffe's long neck may continue, recent research suggests that it is not just about eating taller leaves or shoots but also related to the competition between males for the right to mate.

Giraffes have earned themselves a more marginal ecological niche, but being marginal doesn't mean disadvantaged. Their long necks have empowered them with access to food resources in higher positions and ample food resources, resulting in their stable development as a population.