The mottled patterns that adorn Africa's tallest creatures are passed down from their mothers, a new study suggests. A giraffe calf inherits spots that are similar to those of its mother in terms of roundness and the smoothness of the spots' borders, researchers report October 2 in Peer J. The size and shape of those splotches seem to affect a young giraffe's chances of surviving in the wild. Giraffes - like tigers, zebras and jaguars-are covered in patterns that, among other things, may help signal to other animals that they're part of the same species. The markings can also act as camouflage, optically breaking up an animal's body to hide it from predators.
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