its transitional

well, apparently they weren't, because giraffes exist

and other than giraffes, we actually have examples of organisms where we can link certain adaptations to gene replication errors

such as in frogs

and even in humans

Cars exist too, but it's not correct to say that since they exist they must grow on trees.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632521/

we have evidence which demonstrates a link between *other* complex traits and evolutionary mutational processes, it's not difficult to infer that this is probably the same with giraffes as well

what's funny, is that at first I thought you were trolling

maybe investigate Ring Species

they're an example of these processes in action, resulting in the gradual speciation of organisms

there's also evidence of this in dog breeds, as well as in fruit flies

where the reproductive isolation necessary for speciation can be shown to occur gradually

But have you made a mosquito out of fruit flies?

they have made fruit flies which experience reproductive isolation from other fruit flies, which descended from common ancestors, while still being able to breed with other fruit flies along their selective strain

which is a factor in speciation

perhaps one of the most important factors

Is it reproducible anywhere else?

and some dogs breed notoriously poorly with other specific breeds

there's examples of this in nature, with the aforementioned Ring Species

without the involvement of human experimentation

Basically, if an organism from a common ancestor experiences a long enough period of reproductive isolation from other strains, it can eventually become reproductively incompatible

Hell, lions and tigers have a graduated interfertility with one another. But are recognized as different species.

It's funny how I bring up unique and completely vital features of biology that are not found in any other species and your response is "Hey let's look at its ASS"

Well, evolution is ultimately about reproduction.

What traits are transmitted, and what traits are isolated.

What gets extinguished.

The okapis didn't have giraffe-sized hearts.

The change in cardiovascular system would need to correspond with changes in the physiological demands of it, yes.

It seems really unlikely that an okapi would not only spontaeously give birth to a giraffe, but that the genes would be stable enough to make more giraffes without a giraffe mate.

Dismissing the possibility because these changes are necessary, and that seems too dramatic, ignores how often subtle and gradual these changes really are, and really need to be.

TFW apparently okapi can't give a birth to okapi with a 2cm longer neck giving it an advantage at the buffet and making it popular with all the okapi ladies, thus securing more long boi okapis in the next generation

An Okapi wouldn't give birth to a giraffe, but an transitional organism between an Okapi and a giraffe, very much more resembling an Okapi, and being likely reproductively compatible with other Okapi, with which it would reproduce

In conclusion, long neck okapis are chads

All the biological features that make the giraffe unique are inter- and co-dependent. It needs to not only have the right vascular system, but the right growth patterns and the right leg hide thickness so it won't bleed out if injured.

The comparative rate of reproduction, and the familial isolation of these new characteristics would result in gradual change, and an eventual phenotypical and genetic departure from the root species

We don't have long-necked okapis, we have 30-foot tall giraffes and no intermediary forms to suggest a 10 and 20-foot intermediary.

because these intermediate forms aren't static, nor are they impervious to extinction

Your evidence doesn't exist.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632521/

It doesn't need to, we got giraffes