96 - New Insights into the Cervical Vertebral Musculature of the Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis)

Poster Board Number: 96
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Abstract Body : The unique neck anatomy of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) has been the subject of study for nearly two hundred years. However, published descriptions of the neck musculature have contained notable contradictions, misinterpretations, and omissions. Previous studies frequently disagree on the locations of cervical attachment points, and descriptions of certain muscles are often absent. The aim of this study is to clarify the understanding of giraffe neck anatomy by providing the most comprehensive and accurate description of the cervical vertebral muscles. The vertebral musculature from the atlas to the thoracic vertebrae of a female adult giraffe specimen was dissected and compared to descriptions found in previous studies. Significant discrepancies were found between the observed locations of muscle attachment points and what has been previously reported. For instance, one recent work stated that the musculus brachiocephalicus attached to the skull, while we found the most cranial attachment point to be the fifth vertebra, matching earlier descriptions. The highly modified morphology of giraffe cervical vertebrae, such as the absence of a horizontally projecting element in the transverse processes, may have contributed to the confusion about attachment points. We also identified different extensor muscles that previous studies failed to distinguish. For example, the m. longissimus and m. spinalis have been described as one complex muscle, whereas we observed them to be separate and distinct. In addition to these revisions, our description of the deep musculature of the giraffe neck is significantly more thorough, as we are the first to identify and describe the m. rotatores. This study represents the most complete description of cervical musculature in the giraffe, provides new insights into established knowledge of giraffe neck anatomy, and will be valuable in future evolutionary studies of long-necked animals in general.