Ever wonder what the function of zebra stripes is? This issue for years was the subject of discussion and debate in the scientific community, which proposed several theories to explain this fact. Since the creation of the theory of evolution, when the debate began, hypotheses have been created, but without any research really aimed at solving the mystery.
Initially, the most accepted hypotheses were that of camouflage and protection against predators. It was believed that these animals, which are normally found in groups, ended up confusing predators because of the large amount of stripes. The predator was confused, as it could not differentiate one individual from another. In addition to these better-known theories, zebra stripes have also been linked to management. heat and even social interaction, as each zebra has a unique stripe pattern.
The titled work The function of zebra stripes, published in Nature Communications, in April 2014, he ended a discussion of more than a century and explained
why zebras are striped. According to the article by Caro et al., zebra stripes work like a natural repellent.The researchers reached this conclusion after studying seven species of zebras, horses, donkeys and some subspecies, as well as the places where these animals lived. They also looked at the range of distribution of hematophagous insects such as the tsetse fly and horseflies.
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When analyzing the area in which insects and horses lived, it was possible to observe that there was a greater number of striped animals in places where there was a large amount of insects. Therefore, they were able to conclude that stripes would be a way to avoid the attack of flies, since these insects avoid striped surfaces. They also noticed that there was a smaller amount of zebra blood inside these insects compared to the other species studied. The study also analyzed other existing theories., however, did not get any evidence to prove it.
The issue of flies not liking a striped surface is not new and several studies have been carried out to prove this theory. However, further research must be done to definitively explain why these insects have stripe aversion. Either way, it's already clear that this trait was critical to the zebras' evolutionary success.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "Why are zebras striped?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/por-que-as-zebras-sao-listradas.htm. Accessed on July 27, 2021.
