3 ms·

The function of zebra stripes

12 points by ern 13y ago

jdmitch 13y ago
I always thought the explanation I heard as a kid ("The stripes help them blend in to the tall grass of the savannah") was a bit lacking - this makes much more sense!
- unwind 13y ago
  Agreed. I did have to read it three times in order to feel sure that I understood what they were trying to say; I found the abstract rather opaque. So basically "it deters flies", right? I wonder why then, why would flies avoid striped skin?
  - bazzargh 13y ago
    No idea, but would idly speculate it could be related to the effect seen in bees, where stripes could be used to fool them into thinking the ground was closer or further away: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22915710 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22915710
  - JoeAltmaier 13y ago
    Flies are tiny automatons with only a few neurons controlling their entire behavior. I'd guess stripes hack that simple control system in some dead-simple way.
codva 13y ago
The explanation I heard as a kid was that the stripes confused predators. When they stand in a group the stripes allegedly make it hard for predators to attack from the rear.
001sky 13y ago
Open still is the question of why zebras have such short hair...Apparently this whole hypothesis is predicated on the fact biting flies are a problem unique to Zebras because their hair is shorter than the biting implements of the flies.
soneca 13y ago
I thought was something like a "Dazzle camouflage" -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage The principle it that would be harder to a lion know where they are heading when running. Actually the zebra is supposed to have inspired the development of this technique.
nemesisj 13y ago
I just returned from South Africa, where the rangers were emphatic that the stripes are for camouflage. Not in the way we initially think when we hear camouflage either (to make them invisible), but to make it difficult for a predator to see how many zebras are in a group, and which way they're standing. Zebras can kick very hard, apparently, hard enough to easily kill a man, and if you don't know how many there are and which way they're facing, it makes sneaking up on a group risky.
- appleflaxen 13y ago
  That's what I was taught in high school, too. Basically just dazzle camoflage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage)

12 points by ern 13y ago

I always thought the explanation I heard as a kid ("The stripes help them blend in to the tall grass of the savannah") was a bit lacking - this makes much more sense!

unwind 13y ago
Agreed. I did have to read it three times in order to feel sure that I understood what they were trying to say; I found the abstract rather opaque. So basically "it deters flies", right? I wonder why then, why would flies avoid striped skin?
- bazzargh 13y ago
  No idea, but would idly speculate it could be related to the effect seen in bees, where stripes could be used to fool them into thinking the ground was closer or further away: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22915710 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22915710
- JoeAltmaier 13y ago
  Flies are tiny automatons with only a few neurons controlling their entire behavior. I'd guess stripes hack that simple control system in some dead-simple way.

codva 13y ago

The explanation I heard as a kid was that the stripes confused predators. When they stand in a group the stripes allegedly make it hard for predators to attack from the rear.

001sky 13y ago

Open still is the question of why zebras have such short hair...Apparently this whole hypothesis is predicated on the fact biting flies are a problem unique to Zebras because their hair is shorter than the biting implements of the flies.

soneca 13y ago

I thought was something like a "Dazzle camouflage" -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage The principle it that would be harder to a lion know where they are heading when running. Actually the zebra is supposed to have inspired the development of this technique.

nemesisj 13y ago

I just returned from South Africa, where the rangers were emphatic that the stripes are for camouflage. Not in the way we initially think when we hear camouflage either (to make them invisible), but to make it difficult for a predator to see how many zebras are in a group, and which way they're standing. Zebras can kick very hard, apparently, hard enough to easily kill a man, and if you don't know how many there are and which way they're facing, it makes sneaking up on a group risky.

appleflaxen 13y ago
That's what I was taught in high school, too. Basically just dazzle camoflage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage)