Rothschild's giraffe creamier hue compared to that seen on the reticulated giraffe. In addition, Rothschild's giraffe displays no markings on the lower leg, giving it the impression of wearing white stockings. Another distinguishing feature of Rothschild's giraffe, although harder to spot, is the number of ossicones on the head. This is the only "Giraffa" phenotype to be born with five ossicones. Two of these are the larger and more obvious ones at the top of the head, which are common to all giraffes. The third ossicone can often be seen in the center of the giraffe's forehead, and the other two are
Giraffe deposits have been found in Libya. This animal was medium-sized, slender and antelope-like. "Giraffokeryx" appeared 15 mya in the Indian subcontinent and resembled an okapi or a small giraffe, and had a longer neck and similar ossicones. "Giraffokeryx" may have shared a clade with more massively built giraffids like "Sivatherium" and "Bramatherium". Giraffids like "Palaeotragus", "Shansitherium" and "Samotherium" appeared 14 mya and lived throughout Africa and Eurasia. These animals had bare ossicones and small cranial sinuses and were longer with broader skulls. "Paleotragus" resembled the okapi and may have been its ancestor. Others find that the okapi lineage diverged earlier,