In the late 19th century, an English aristocrat made a striking appearance in London by riding in a zebra-drawn carriage. This spectacle was part of a broader European ambition to conquer and control African territories. However, European colonists faced numerous obstacles, one of which was the relentless biting flies. These pests not only drained blood from horses but also spread deadly diseases, severely affecting the colonists’ ability to use horses for transportation. As a result, they had to rely heavily on human labor to move goods. Interestingly, zebras seemed unaffected by these flies, leading the German Empire to consider them ideal for military purposes and to attempt their domestication.
Around 1900, Fritz Bronsart von Schellendorff, a former German colonial army officer, took on the challenge of domesticating zebras. However, he underestimated the difficulties involved. This endeavor also brought attention to another intriguing question: why do zebras have such distinctive stripes? This question puzzled scientists and sparked debates for decades.
Zebras belong to the same family as horses and donkeys. After their ancestors migrated to Africa, they evolved into the three zebra species we know today. These species live in social herds in eastern and southern Africa, grazing on grasses and avoiding predators. Scientists have long speculated about the purpose of zebra stripes, but not all theories have stood the test of time. For instance, the idea that stripes serve a social function is unlikely, as other equids can recognize individuals in their herd without such patterns.
Another theory suggested that stripes help zebras stay cool by creating air currents between the black and white areas. However, experiments tracking air movement around zebra hides found no evidence of this effect. Some researchers proposed that stripes serve as camouflage or confuse predators by resembling tree trunks or blurring the zebra’s outline. Yet, predators like hyenas and lions likely perceive zebras as gray until they are close enough to detect them through sound and smell. Given that lions frequently capture zebras, it seems unlikely that the stripes significantly confuse them.
One hypothesis that holds promise relates to the biting flies that troubled horses. Zebras have shorter hair than other grazers in their regions, potentially making them more susceptible to fly bites. Researchers tested this theory by covering horses with striped and checked rugs, finding that flies avoided these patterns compared to solid gray. Another study observed that flies circled horses, zebras, and horses in zebra print equally but landed on zebra-patterned areas only about a quarter as much. Additionally, flies approached zebras at higher speeds, resulting in clumsy landings. It appears that zebra stripes disrupt the flies’ visual processing, reducing their ability to land effectively and thus limiting their blood-sucking and disease-transmitting opportunities.
Zebras are not only adept at deterring biting flies but also possess strong defensive adaptations. Around 1900, Bronsart established an experimental ranch near Mount Kilimanjaro to capture and cross-breed zebras with other equids. However, the venture faced numerous challenges. Zebras are capable of running shortly after birth and have powerful bites and kicks. Moreover, Bronsart’s operation was ill-prepared to meet the zebras’ needs. The zebras he captured, with the help of Indigenous people, could not produce enough milk for their calves. Within a year, Bronsart exhausted a five-year budget, and many zebras in captivity died. The attempt to domesticate zebras ended in failure, leaving only rare instances of zebra taming in history.
Conduct a research project on the various hypotheses about why zebras have stripes. Prepare a presentation that includes historical theories and the latest scientific findings. Focus on the hypothesis related to biting flies and discuss its implications. Present your findings to the class, highlighting the evolution of scientific thought on this topic.
Participate in a debate about the feasibility and ethical considerations of zebra domestication. Divide into two groups: one supporting the idea of domestication for practical purposes and the other opposing it due to ethical and ecological concerns. Use historical attempts and modern perspectives to support your arguments.
Engage in a simulation activity where you explore different animal adaptations in a virtual African savanna. Identify the unique adaptations of zebras and compare them with other equids like horses and donkeys. Discuss how these adaptations help zebras survive in their natural habitat, focusing on their interactions with predators and pests.
Design an experiment to test how different patterns affect the landing behavior of flies. Use models or simulations to create various patterns, including zebra stripes, and observe the flies’ reactions. Analyze the data to understand how visual processing in flies might be disrupted by certain patterns.
Analyze a case study on the role of animals in European colonization efforts in Africa. Focus on the challenges faced by colonists due to biting flies and the subsequent interest in zebras. Discuss the impact of these efforts on local ecosystems and Indigenous communities, and reflect on the lessons learned from these historical events.
When an English aristocrat rode through London in a zebra-drawn carriage, he embodied a dream decades in the making, born from European efforts to dominate the African continent. However, 19th-century European colonists faced significant challenges as they tried to control the vast African territories they had claimed, one of which was biting flies. These pests could extract a substantial amount of blood from horses daily while transmitting fatal diseases that devastated domestic horses, leaving colonial powers reliant on thousands of humans to transport goods. Zebras, however, appeared immune to the same issues as horses. The German Empire deemed them “predestined for military needs” and undertook the task of domesticating them.
Around 1900, former German colonial army officer Fritz Bronsart von Schellendorff took charge of this mission but severely underestimated the challenges involved. Soon enough, the question of why domesticating zebras was proving so difficult joined another longstanding mystery: why zebras had such conspicuously striped coats—a matter that perplexed prominent scientists and fueled decades of debate.
To understand zebras’ distinctive qualities, we should start with the big picture. Zebras belong to the same family as horses and donkeys. After their lineage entered Africa, they evolved into the three zebra species that exist today, living in social herds in eastern and southern Africa, grazing on grasses and evading fierce predators. Scientists have speculated extensively about zebra striping, but not all theories have held up. For example, the hypothesis that striping has a social function seems unlikely because, while every zebra has a unique pattern, other equids can identify individuals in their herd without it.
Some have theorized that the pattern helps zebras stay cool in direct sunlight, with the heat differential between their black and white stripes generating cooling air currents. However, when scientists tracked air movements around sunlit zebra hides, they saw no such effect. Many have also wondered if the patterning works as camouflage or somehow confuses predators, perhaps evoking a tangle of tree trunks or creating uncertainty about where the zebra’s body starts and ends. However, hyenas and lions likely see zebras as gray until they are in close range, where they can also hear and smell them. Lions can probably identify their outlines just as easily as they can other, less patterned prey. Given how frequently lions capture zebras, it doesn’t seem like they are all that confused.
One hypothesis that shows promise concerns those biting flies that horses couldn’t handle. Zebras have shorter hair than other grazers in their regions, possibly making them more vulnerable to the flies’ probing. So, perhaps striping acts protectively. Testing this hypothesis, one experiment found that a certain kind of biting fly avoided horses covered in striped and checked rugs compared to those in solid gray. Another study documented biting flies circling horses, zebras, and horses clad in zebra print equally—but landing on zebra-patterned areas only about a quarter as much. Biting flies also generally approached zebras at higher speeds and didn’t decelerate as usual, causing clumsy overshoots and crash landings. It seems that zebra stripes—and other graphic patterns—interfere with how biting flies process visual information to position themselves when landing, limiting their blood-sucking and disease-transmitting opportunities.
But zebras aren’t just good at keeping biting flies off their backs. Around 1900, Bronsart founded an experimental ranch near Mount Kilimanjaro to capture and cross-breed zebras with other equids. Things didn’t go as planned—in part because zebras have a robust set of defensive adaptations. Most are capable of running within an hour of birth and are equipped with strong bites and kicks. Bronsart’s operation was also unprepared to meet zebras’ needs. Those zebras he gathered, which he paid Indigenous people to wrangle, couldn’t produce enough milk for their calves. Within a single year, Bronsart had burned through a five-year budget, and many of the zebras he held in captivity were dead. Attempts at zebra domestication had failed miserably, leaving those rare instances of zebra taming largely to history.
Zebras – Members of the horse family native to Africa, known for their distinctive black and white striped coats. – Zebras have played a significant role in the ecosystem of the African savanna, serving as a primary prey species for large predators.
Stripes – Long, narrow bands of color that are a defining feature of zebra coats, believed to provide camouflage and deter flies. – The evolutionary purpose of zebra stripes has been a subject of scientific debate, with theories ranging from social signaling to predator avoidance.
Flies – Insects that are often vectors for disease, some species of which are known to be deterred by the stripes of zebras. – Research has suggested that the unique pattern of zebra stripes may help reduce the number of flies landing on them, thus lowering the risk of disease transmission.
Domestication – The process by which humans have adapted wild animals and plants for their own use, often leading to changes in the species over time. – Unlike horses, zebras have never been successfully domesticated, possibly due to their unpredictable nature and strong survival instincts.
Africa – The continent where zebras are predominantly found, home to diverse ecosystems and a rich history of human civilization. – Africa’s vast savannas provide the ideal habitat for zebras, where they coexist with a variety of other species.
Species – A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring, sharing common characteristics and genetic makeup. – The plains zebra is one of the three species of zebras, each adapted to different environments within Africa.
Predators – Animals that hunt and consume other animals for survival, playing a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. – Lions and hyenas are among the primary predators of zebras, influencing their behavior and social structure.
Grazing – The act of feeding on grass, a primary activity for herbivores like zebras that shapes their social and migratory patterns. – Zebras spend a significant portion of their day grazing, which affects the vegetation dynamics of their habitats.
Characteristics – Distinctive traits or features that define a species or individual, often used in biological classification. – The unique characteristics of zebra stripes have intrigued scientists, leading to numerous studies on their function and evolution.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs, often providing context for current societal structures and behaviors. – The history of human interaction with zebras includes attempts at domestication and their depiction in ancient African art.
