Scientists Solve the Riddle of Zebras' Stripes

5/7/2014

Why do zebras have black and white stripes? This is a question that has intrigued scientists and spectators for centuries. The riddle has now been solved after a systematic study determined that zebras evolved their stripes to avoid attracting horseflies, tsetse flies and other biting insects. Experimental work shows that such flies tend to avoid black-and-white striped surfaces. This research disproves several common hypotheses that zebra stripes serve as a form of camouflage to confuse carnivores, a mechanism of heat management or another social function. Read the full story here.