Despite their zebra-like stripes, okapids are most closely related to giraffes. Genetic and anatomical evidence confirms they share a common ancestor. Okapids have long tongues and similar skull structures to giraffes, though much shorter necks. Their evolutionary split occurred millions of years ago as forests replaced open savannas. This forced okapids to adapt to dense jungle life. The giraffe’s height and the okapi’s camouflage represent two survival strategies from the same lineage.
This relationship reshapes how people think about animal evolution. It shows how drastically species can diverge when environments change.
The okapi demonstrates that evolution does not always favor size or visibility. Sometimes survival depends on secrecy and specialization.
Okapids can clean their own ears with their long tongues, just like giraffes.
Smithsonian National Zoo (si.edu)