by Laura Poppick, Live Science Contributor | January 14, 2015 06:57am ET
Zebras' thick, black stripes may have evolved to help
these iconic creatures stay cool in the midday African heat, a new study suggests.
these iconic creatures stay cool in the midday African heat, a new study suggests.
Many African animals sport somestripes on their bodies, but none of these patterns contrast as starkly as the zebra's. Researchers have long struggled to explain the purpose of the zebra's unique black-and-white coat. Some have suggested that the stripes may help zebras camouflage themselves and escape from lions and other predators; avoid nasty bites from disease-carrying flies; or control body heat by generating small-scale breezes over the zebra's body when light and dark stripes heat up at different rates.
heat by generating small-scale breezes over the zebra's body when light and dark stripes heat up at different rates.
Still, few scientists have tested these explanations, and many argue that the stripes serve a complex mix of purposes.
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