2 . Long believed to have little social structure, giraffes actually are socially complex, University of Bristol scientists suggest. Their social organization is comparable to that of elephants, dolphins and whales.
Lead author Zoe Miller started research work on giraffes in 2005. “I had noticed that giraffe population numbers were decreasing, and I realized that the tallest of all land animals had hardly had any scientific work done on them, which I just found unbelievable. I decided to devote my career to understanding this species better,” said Muller.
Muller and her team looked at research work done in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Researchers then considered giraffes very unsociable and that they formed no long-lasting relationships. “However, this was not what I saw in Africa, and I started to question why they were described as having ‘little or no social structure’ when I could clearly observe them always together,” Muller said.
Muller was based in Kenya for five years, conducting research on giraffes and their social organization. She and her team found that giraffes are actually a highly complex social species that may live in matriarchal (母系的) social systems and include shared care of their young.
“Giraffes may take part in shared parenting of the young, and remain in groups of related females. These types of social organization are well-known in other species, for example elephants and whales, but nobody has ever before suggested that the same could be true for giraffes,” Muller said.
The grandmother giraffes stay in their family groups, passing on survival benefits in tough times to the younger members of the group. For example, they may know where there is water or where they can find food. “This is important information, as this means we should focus on protecting the older adult females, since they are important members to aid the survival of younger generations,” explained Muller.
1. What did Zoe Muller think of researchers’ work done in the 1950s-1970s?
| A．Questionable. | B．Inspiring. | C．Reliable. | D．Creative. |
2. In what way are giraffes similar to elephants according to the text?
| A．Their population numbers are dropping. |
| B．They remain in groups of related males. |
| C．They have been well protected in the wild. |
| D．They take part in shared raising of the young. |
3. Why are older female giraffes particularly worthy of protection?
| A．They can help keep the balance of nature. |
| B．They can help researchers learn about giraffes. |
| C．They can pass on life skills to the younger generations. |
| D．They can help younger giraffes get on well with each other. |
4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．Secrets of Giraffes: The Older, The Smarter |
| B．Social Structure: A Gap in Animal Research |
| C．Giraffes: More Socially Complex than Imagined |
| D．Survival of Giraffes: The Role of Older Members |
