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Monday, February 13, 2012

Why is Zebra's Skin Striped?

Zebra has a special trick to expel the blood-sucking insects. His skin was black and white striped can dispel insect pests. These benefits may explain why zebra's spots develop.

Pattern of black and white striped zebra in the body is very typical, but scientists do not know why they developed the pattern. One popular notion is that striped skin makes it difficult to distinguish predatory eye on the herd of zebra. But the idea is not supported by strong experimental evidence.

Research scientist found that horse dark-skinned animals attract more individuals than the blood-sucking insects were white.

While still in the fetal stage, zebra has dark skin, but by birth the skin turns white streaks. This development makes the researchers suspect that the white stripes create a zebra is less attractive to insects. This is advantageous because the bite of horse flies, or tabanid, not only painful, but can also transmit harmful bacteria.

To prove it, researchers visited a horse farm near Budapest, Hungary. Tests on painted surfaces in black and white striped with a variety of widths and angles, and covered with glue revealed that the thin strip of at least attract insects as well. Striped zebra skin pattern fits with the least visited tabanid.

Researchers also made three horses sculpture is painted white, black, and black-and-white striped. Apparently at least visited the statue of striped horse flies.

The resulting effect is similar to the zebra stripes of light polarization. Many of the insects attracted to the horizontal polarization of light, like light reflected off the water, alerting them to the place mate and lay eggs.

"In contrast, dark lines and bright zebra reflect different light polarization, as arranged vertically, while the flies look horizontally polarized signals," said Susanne Åkesson, evolutionary ecologist at the University of Lund in Sweden. Researchers are still an important opportunity for the other benefits of the typical pattern. "We believe this is an important selection factor, free of biting flies that can transmit the deadly disease," said Akesson. *** [LIVESCIENCE | KORAN TEMPO 3792]Enhanced by Zemanta
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