Giraffes may be four species, not one

Africa’s giraffes may be made up of four different species, a new study found.

Long considered a single species with geographic variations, an analysis of 515 giraffe skulls pinpointed distinct differences across four groups: Northern giraffes, Masai giraffes, reticulated giraffes, and southern giraffes.

The findings add to genetic evidence that also supports reclassifying the creature into four species instead of one. Doing so could aid their conservation — giraffes are currently listed as a single species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which tracks biodiversity.

“Our results highlight the importance of focusing future giraffe conservation efforts on each taxon to maintain their unique characteristics and biodiversity in the wild,” the researchers wrote.