3 ms·

>I was hoping the article would mention something about their neuroscience, too. The article specifically mentions this and cites the study you linked. >Or ma

by jotux 12y ago

>I was hoping the article would mention something about their neuroscience, too. The article specifically mentions this and cites the study you linked. >Or maybe the giraffes are worried about tripping over their own feet. Heather More and Shawn O’Connor of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and their colleagues measured so-called sensorimotor responsiveness in the giraffe: how long it takes a nerve signal to travel from a muscle in the ankle up to the brain and back again. Reporting in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the researchers found that the nerve conduction rate in the giraffe is pretty much the same as it is in a shrew, rat or any other mammal. >Given the comparatively greater distance a nerve signal has to travel in the giraffe, Dr. More said, it’s possible the giraffe faces real challenges in reacting quickly to events down under — a rock beneath its hoof, or a bite to its ankle.

pedrocr 12y ago
>Given the comparatively greater distance a nerve signal has to travel in the giraffe, Dr. More said, it’s possible the giraffe faces real challenges in reacting quickly to events down under — a rock beneath its hoof, or a bite to its ankle. Why would this be any different in a giraffe vs an elephant? A quick googling tells me a giraffe is 5.5m tall whereas an elephant is 4m tall. Since an elephant is also longer than a giraffe the brain to rear hoof distance shouldn't really be all that different. A blue whale on the other hand is 30m long, so it seems like giraffes are well inside the normal design spec for large mammals.
- judk 12y ago
  Whales probably aren't very nimble. They don't have to balance on little feet. And elephants have very wide feet, probably easier to balance on.
TheCraiggers 12y ago
I forget the scientific term, but I remember that humans (and I would suppose other mammals as well, at least) have bundles of nerves located in the spine that can force muscles to react immediately based on certain stimuli, like pain. If I accidentally grab a hot object, my brain doesn't even come into the equation until I've already dropped it. The knee-taps that we all got as kids that make your leg jerk are a form of this reflex, and I remember it being really important for keeping your balance without even having to think about it. I would presume it's the same for giraffes. If something bites an ankle, the signal probably doesn't have to go all the way to the brain and back. If one leg senses a loss of balance, it should reflexively act to maintain balance. I'm sure the researchers are all well aware of this, but I'm surprised that the article makes it out to be that we can't understand how giraffes can even walk. If anybody knows why reflexes wouldn't apply to giraffes, I'm curious to know it.

by jotux 12y ago

pedrocr 12y ago

>Given the comparatively greater distance a nerve signal has to travel in the giraffe, Dr. More said, it’s possible the giraffe faces real challenges in reacting quickly to events down under — a rock beneath its hoof, or a bite to its ankle. Why would this be any different in a giraffe vs an elephant? A quick googling tells me a giraffe is 5.5m tall whereas an elephant is 4m tall. Since an elephant is also longer than a giraffe the brain to rear hoof distance shouldn't really be all that different. A blue whale on the other hand is 30m long, so it seems like giraffes are well inside the normal design spec for large mammals.

judk 12y ago
Whales probably aren't very nimble. They don't have to balance on little feet. And elephants have very wide feet, probably easier to balance on.

TheCraiggers 12y ago

I forget the scientific term, but I remember that humans (and I would suppose other mammals as well, at least) have bundles of nerves located in the spine that can force muscles to react immediately based on certain stimuli, like pain. If I accidentally grab a hot object, my brain doesn't even come into the equation until I've already dropped it. The knee-taps that we all got as kids that make your leg jerk are a form of this reflex, and I remember it being really important for keeping your balance without even having to think about it. I would presume it's the same for giraffes. If something bites an ankle, the signal probably doesn't have to go all the way to the brain and back. If one leg senses a loss of balance, it should reflexively act to maintain balance. I'm sure the researchers are all well aware of this, but I'm surprised that the article makes it out to be that we can't understand how giraffes can even walk. If anybody knows why reflexes wouldn't apply to giraffes, I'm curious to know it.