Darkening coat colour reveals life history and life expectancy of male Thornicroft's giraffes

摘要: Much of the information available about life history giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis, is derived from captive studies or short-term field studies. The coat colour male giraffes, especially blotches, darkens with age, but no have systematically mapped transition chronological age based on long-term data. We examine value using darkening as a biomarker age. analyzed 33 years data 36 Thornicroft's G. c. thornicroftii, living in Zambia order to document key milestones development. found that change pelage colouration takes an average 1.8 and males are completely covered coal-black blotches at 9.4 years. Using lifetime deaths disappearances, combined cross-sectional records coat-colour transformation, we conclude death among giraffes 16 old. maximum lifespan 22 compared 28 for female giraffes. possible proximate mechanisms adaptive significance changes should be studied more detail.