Scientists feel Zebras reportedly have stripes to fend off insects, help them blend in with their surroundings, befuddle enemy species, lower their body temperature, or assist the animal in socially acquainting themselves National Geographic reported Wednesday.
"I was amazed by our results," Tim Caro, a biologist at the University of California Davis said in a statement. The Washington Post reported. "Again and again, there was greater striping on areas of the body in those parts of the world where there was more annoyance from biting flies."
Scientists tried their hand at the different suppositions via a model that came up with the same result of black and white National Geographic reported.
The group viewed content from museums to maps representing detailing various parts of the past.
Caro's group examined the different patterns of a Zebras stripes on seven animals that belong to the equid classification, a group that consists of horses, donkeys, and zebras National Geographic reported.
Twenty other kinds that closely resemble the aforementioned animals were also looked at.
The positioning where the stripes were placed on the species body also factored into the scientists' analysis. This included body parts such as the face, stomach, or behind National Geographic reported.
The information allowed scientists to tell the spots the species, both living and perished animals from the equid group resided.
"We found again and again and again [that] the only factor which is highly associated with striping is to ban biting flies," Caro said in the statement, The Post reported. "I was delighted to see the results were so strong in one direction."
The research process has just started as scientists want to know more about the Zebras.
"The story is likely to be much more complex, and this is unlikely to be the last word on the subject. We really need to know what happens with live zebra in the field before we can be sure."
