This book is the first to examine in detail the anatomy and evolution of the giraffe, showing that there were species of giraffe, extinct now, in North Africa and suggesting that okapis lived there as well. It explores skeletal differences in these species and considers the anatomy of their necks, limbs, tongues and eyes. In addition, the book addresses features of locomotion in these species and describes the evolution of the giraffe in comparison to other Giraffidae.
Nikos Solounias is a Professor of Anatomy and Embryology at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine and a Research Associate in Palaeontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He has published 139 scientific peer-reviewed articles and has made important contributions to the study of the Miocene Samos fauna, the developments of tooth microwear and mesowear, and the dietary evolution of ruminants and horses through the Cenozoic. He is particularly interested in anatomy and embryology and in ruminant evolution, as well as the family Giraffidae.
"An amazing journey through the mysteries of giraffid evolution from the world's number one expert. Professor Solounias has dedicated his life to the study of this iconic mammal and its extinct relatives, and, in this book, he goes through some of its most puzzling enigmas: from its long neck to its vocalization in the form of infrasounds. It is highly recommended reading."
– María Ríos, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
"Nobody else could have written this book, as it is filled with astute, creative, and brilliant observations that could only come from a lifetime of study."
– Brian Beatty Associate Professor, New York Institute of Technology