A Preliminary Study on the Siphon Mechanism in Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis).

ABSTRACT: Adult giraffes reach heights of 4.5 m with a heart-to-head distance of over 2 m, making cranial blood supply challenging. Ultrasound confirmed that the giraffe jugular vein collapses during head movement from ground level to fully erect, negating the possibility of a siphon mechanism in the neck. We showed that a short-length siphon structure over a simulated head-to-heart distance for a giraffe significantly influences flow in a collapsible tube. The siphon structure is determined according to brain case measurements. The short-length siphon structure in a shorter-necked ostrich showed no significant increase in flow. The shorter head-to-heart distance might be the reason for the lack of effect in ostriches. A siphon mechanism situated in the cranium is certainly possible, with a signific

SUBMITTER: van der Walt MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9740075 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature