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It's a fact that Giraffe has the longest neck among other animals, but, have you ever wondered why? In a major breakthrough, a team of scientists from Penn State University and the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology have sequenced the entire giraffe genome as well as the genome of its closest relative, the okapi, to find out what is behind the animal's most iconic feature.

"The giraffe's stature, dominated by its long neck and legs and an overall height that can reach 19 feet, is an extraordinary feat of evolution that has inspired awe and wonder for at least 8,000 years, as far back as the famous rock carvings at Dabous in the Republic of Niger," said Douglas Cavener of Penn State University, according to Gizmodo.

"The evolutionary changes required to build the giraffe's imposing structure and to equip it with the necessary modifications for its high-speed sprinting and powerful cardiovascular functions have remained a source of scientific mystery since the 1800s, when Charles Darwin first puzzled over the giraffe's evolutionary origins," Cavener added.

In order to isolate the genes responsible for the giraffe's long neck and other unique characteristics, the research team compared the gene-coding sequences of the giraffe and the okapi to more than 40 other animals, including cows, sheep, goats, camels, and humans.

On comparison, the researchers found 70 genes that were responsible for some of the giraffe's most distinctive adaptations. It was found that of the 70 genes, over half of them coded for proteins that regulate development of the giraffe's skeletal, cardiovascular, and nervous system- all important for producing their long necks, reported Daily Mail.

Prof Cavener said at least two genes are required for giraffes' necks to grow so long, one gene to specify the region of the skeleton to grow more and other one to stimulate increased growth.

"There are many theories about how the giraffe's neck lengthened but it does seem that the development of the cardiovascular system evolved in parallel with the development of the skeletal system," said Morris Agaba of the African Institute for Science and Technology in Tanzania, according to Reuters.

The study findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications.