There has been much debate about zebra's stripes including whether they are white on black, vice versa or neither. There has also been speculation on whether they are temperature-related (zebras from warmer locations have more) and whether they help reduce predation by making the animal difficult to track and/or make biting flies less effective. The tracking idea has been recently tested by a PhD student, Anna Hughes, getting humans to try to follow a range of images including stripes (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02zdksj). She casts some doubt on the notion that the stripes generate motion dazzle but human eyes are not quite the same as those of lions and biting flies.
This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Wednesday, 12 August 2015
Earning Their Stripes
There has been much debate about zebra's stripes including whether they are white on black, vice versa or neither. There has also been speculation on whether they are temperature-related (zebras from warmer locations have more) and whether they help reduce predation by making the animal difficult to track and/or make biting flies less effective. The tracking idea has been recently tested by a PhD student, Anna Hughes, getting humans to try to follow a range of images including stripes (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02zdksj). She casts some doubt on the notion that the stripes generate motion dazzle but human eyes are not quite the same as those of lions and biting flies.
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