It has been revealed the role played by zebra

February 22, 2019

A study by scientists at the University of Bristol and the University of California revealed that they served the stripes that mammals have on the skin.

Different theories coexist more than 100 years ago to answer what function fill the zebra. The most common is that their colors help to dissipate heat or that their patterns, unique in each animal, are a hallmark.

Even the researchers have dared to say that bands of a herd of zebras generate an optical illusion capable of baffling hyenas and lions. However, scientists from University of Bristol and the University of California at Davis they came to a very different conclusion: the rays frighten the insects.

To justify this theory, They tried to train horses with black and white striped coats. According to the study, the different intensity with which they reflect the light Both types of scratches on the skin of zebras can "Blinder" with its glow to flies and gadgets when they approach to install on the skin to suck their blood.

The researchers found that horse flies stood on horses dressed less often than those without a striped coat. This is another proof that zebra stripes provide protection against insects that suck blood and spread disease. "Equine flies just seem to fly over the stripes of the zebra or hit them, which is not the case with horses", has explained Tim Caro, emeritus professor of UC Davis and honorary member of the research School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol.

In fact, the researchers concluded that zebra bands confuse insects and prevent them from landing.

"We observed and filmed the behavior of horse flies near horses and captive zebras, and found that flies could not slow down and successfully land near rays.", says research published in the magazine Science ONE Public Library.

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Martin How, member of the team of the University of Bristol, he said that "The bands will dazzle the flies in one way or another when they are close enough to see them with their low resolution eyes."

Scientists have observed a similar number of flies flying over both horses and zebras, although the number of flies perched on horses is higher in the former.