Giraffes Inherit Their Spots From Their Mothers

Though slightly random due to being about giraffes this article titled Giraffes Inherit Their Spots From Their Mothers in the Science News Journal which referenced this study by the Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences which focuses on the spots of giraffes, how they are passed on from one generation to the next and ultimately how that impacts the survival of the offspring. Through photographic samples, parent-offspring regression statistics and field observation of the sampled giraffes the researchers found that there was an inheritable aspect of the spots for giraffe offspring. Those spots do have an impact on survival rates and though the fathers of these offspring were not included the similarity between offspring and parent indicates a correlation between coat patterns and survival rates of the offspring. The researchers found that circulatory and solidity patterns improved overall offspring survival fir neonates and juveniles. While results indicate high similarity to the mothers' coat patterns there are still many things to discover and expand upon with this research and the question of how the spot patterns relate genetically between offspring and mother as well has how those patterns impact survival.