Why do scientists put on a Zebra costume on a normal horse? In the name of science!
Source:In 1952, the mathematician Alan Turing proved that spots and stripes on the bodies of zebras, tigers and leopards are due to different speed of propagation of chemical substances in the embryo. However, scientists still can not understand what these animals need a band. It was assumed that they help to camouflage zebras from predators and to regulate body temperature, however, the researchers from the universities of California and Bristol appeared more realistic theory. They held , proved that bands on the body zebras protect them from dangerous insects.
The Experiment was conducted in private stables of the city Dandri. The researchers deduced several zebras and horses are different suits on the street, and for purity of experiment dressed up one ordinary horse in a striped outfit. They also sprayed it on the substance that emits the scent of the Zebra. With the help of several cameras, the scientists were determined to capture the reaction of insects on conventional and striped horses.
Observations have shown that the presence of stripes on the body does not affect the behavior of biting horseflies. However, insects can easily land on a body normal horses and bite them, while the bodies of the zebras they fell with increased speed and could not catch. From this, scientists concluded that the striped texture effectively deceives the eye insects, and protection is one of its main functions.
In the experiment, the researchers watched the reaction of horses and zebras. It turned out that the insect Zebra actively trying to escape from them. It is assumed that this is due to the fact that zebras are much more likely carriers of dangerous diseases than a horse.
And what of the assumptions about the function of strips on the body zebras you adhere to? Write your variant in comments, and discuss the news more in .
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