TY - JOUR
T1 - Using spot pattern recognition to examine population biology, evolutionary ecology, sociality, and movements of giraffes
T2 - a 70-year retrospective
AU - Lee, Derek E.
AU - Lohay, George G.
AU - Cavener, Douglas R.
AU - Bond, Monica L.
N1 - Funding Information:
The Masai Giraffe Project was conducted with permission from the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology, Tanzania National Parks, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, African Wildlife Foundation and Manyara Ranch Conservancy, and Tanzania Wildlife Authority. Long-term funding for the Masai Giraffe Project was provided by the Sacramento Zoological Society, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Tierpark Berlin and Zoo Berlin, Tulsa Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Zoo Miami, GreaterGood.org Project Peril, and Save the Giraffes. We thank Asilia Africa, &Beyond, Nomad Tanzania, and Tarangire Safari Lodge for logistical support. We would especially like to acknowledge the pioneer of giraffe research in Africa, Dr. Anne Innis Dagg, on whose shoulders we all stand.
Funding Information:
The Masai Giraffe Project was conducted with permission from the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology, Tanzania National Parks, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, African Wildlife Foundation and Manyara Ranch Conservancy, and Tanzania Wildlife Authority. Long-term funding for the Masai Giraffe Project was provided by the Sacramento Zoological Society, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Tierpark Berlin and Zoo Berlin, Tulsa Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Zoo Miami, GreaterGood.org Project Peril, and Save the Giraffes. We thank Asilia Africa, &Beyond, Nomad Tanzania, and Tarangire Safari Lodge for logistical support. We would especially like to acknowledge the pioneer of giraffe research in Africa, Dr. Anne Innis Dagg, on whose shoulders we all stand.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Deutsche Gesellschaft für Säugetierkunde.
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - Individual-based studies where animals are monitored through space and time enable explorations of ecology, demography, evolutionary biology, movements, and behavior. Here, we review 70 years of research on an endangered African herbivore, the giraffe, based on individual spot pattern recognition, and profile an example of a long-term photographic mark–recapture study of Masai giraffes in Tanzania. We illustrate how individual-based data can be used to examine the fitness consequences (variation in survival and reproduction) of extrinsic environmental factors or intrinsic traits in an evolutionary ecology framework. These data also allow the study of social structure, space use, life histories, and health. The giraffe offers an excellent opportunity to study dynamics of an ungulate species with a highly fission–fusion social system using spot pattern recognition.
AB - Individual-based studies where animals are monitored through space and time enable explorations of ecology, demography, evolutionary biology, movements, and behavior. Here, we review 70 years of research on an endangered African herbivore, the giraffe, based on individual spot pattern recognition, and profile an example of a long-term photographic mark–recapture study of Masai giraffes in Tanzania. We illustrate how individual-based data can be used to examine the fitness consequences (variation in survival and reproduction) of extrinsic environmental factors or intrinsic traits in an evolutionary ecology framework. These data also allow the study of social structure, space use, life histories, and health. The giraffe offers an excellent opportunity to study dynamics of an ungulate species with a highly fission–fusion social system using spot pattern recognition.
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U2 - 10.1007/s42991-022-00261-3
DO - 10.1007/s42991-022-00261-3
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85137451561
SN - 1616-5047
VL - 102
SP - 1055
EP - 1071
JO - Mammalian Biology
JF - Mammalian Biology
IS - 4
ER -