Craniodental pathologies and irregularities in the giraffe (Giraffa spp.)

Giraffe (Giraffa spp.) are some of the most iconic representatives of African megafauna; yet, published data on their pathologies in general remain scarce. Our study reported multiple cases of craniodental pathologies and irregularities in all four species of giraffe based on a large dataset comprising 516 skulls. Dental irregularities included abnormal morphologies, misaligned or absent teeth, irregular dental wear, and dental fractures. Cranial cases include periodontitis (observed in a considerable proportion of the dataset; n=206, 39.9%), ossicone asymmetry in size and orientation (due to developmental variations or trauma), trauma possibly caused by intraspecific aggression, neoplasia, wry nose, and cleft palate. The causes of these pathologies appear to be either congenital (e.g., wry nose), behavioural (e.g., fighting injuries), or environmental (e.g., diet-related periodontitis). This preliminary report of giraffe cranial pathologies/irregularities serves as a foundational dataset to enable the detection of similar deformities in different giraffe species, and perhaps in other species as well.