Are Zebras White With Black Stripes Or Black With White Stripes? (livescience.com) 67
Zebra stripes are unique to each individual zebra, reports LiveScience, in an article shared by long-time Slashdot reader fahrbot-bot. And even if you look at the three different zebra species, their skin is always the same color: black (according to Tim Caro, a behavioral and evolutionary ecologist and conservation biologist at the University of California, Davis).
But this still doesn't answer the question of whether their fur is black with white stripes or white with black stripes. For that, we have to look to the zebra's melanocytes, or the cells that produce pigment for their fur. Although zebras have black skin, different developmental processes determine their fur color, just like a light-skinned person can have dark hair, Caro said. In fact, zebras actually have more light-colored hair than dark — their bellies are usually light — so it may seem that zebras are white with black stripes.
But that's not the case. Here's why: Every piece of hair — both light and dark — grows from a follicle filled with melanocyte cells, according to a 2005 review in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. These cells produce a pigment that determines the color of hair and skin. This pigment is known as melanin; a lot of melanin leads to darker colors, like dark brown or black, while less melanin leads to lighter colors, such as hazel or blond, Live Science previously reported. Zebras' black fur is chock-full of melanin, but melanin is absent from white fur, in essence, because the follicles that make up the stripes of white hair have "turned off" melanocytes, meaning they don't churn out pigment.
The production of melanin from melanocytes is "prevented during the development of a white hair, but not of a black hair," Caro told Live Science in an email. In other words, for zebras, the animals' default state is to produce black hair, making them black with white stripes, according to Brittanica.... This unique pattern may keep away biting flies, according to research by Caro and his colleagues. In a study published in 2020 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, they found that African horseflies landed less frequently on horses wearing striped or checked rugs than they did on horses wearing solid-colored rugs. These biting flies can carry diseases that are fatal to zebras.
But this still doesn't answer the question of whether their fur is black with white stripes or white with black stripes. For that, we have to look to the zebra's melanocytes, or the cells that produce pigment for their fur. Although zebras have black skin, different developmental processes determine their fur color, just like a light-skinned person can have dark hair, Caro said. In fact, zebras actually have more light-colored hair than dark — their bellies are usually light — so it may seem that zebras are white with black stripes.
But that's not the case. Here's why: Every piece of hair — both light and dark — grows from a follicle filled with melanocyte cells, according to a 2005 review in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. These cells produce a pigment that determines the color of hair and skin. This pigment is known as melanin; a lot of melanin leads to darker colors, like dark brown or black, while less melanin leads to lighter colors, such as hazel or blond, Live Science previously reported. Zebras' black fur is chock-full of melanin, but melanin is absent from white fur, in essence, because the follicles that make up the stripes of white hair have "turned off" melanocytes, meaning they don't churn out pigment.
The production of melanin from melanocytes is "prevented during the development of a white hair, but not of a black hair," Caro told Live Science in an email. In other words, for zebras, the animals' default state is to produce black hair, making them black with white stripes, according to Brittanica.... This unique pattern may keep away biting flies, according to research by Caro and his colleagues. In a study published in 2020 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, they found that African horseflies landed less frequently on horses wearing striped or checked rugs than they did on horses wearing solid-colored rugs. These biting flies can carry diseases that are fatal to zebras.
Reminds me ... (Score:2, Funny)
St. Peter said, 'That's a question only God can answer.'
So the zebra went off in search of God.
When he found Him, the zebra asked, 'God, please - I must know. Am I white with black stripes, or am I black with white stripes?'
God simply replied 'You are what you are.'
The zebra returned to see St.
Re: Reminds me ... (Score:2)
That's... oddly funny but as someone who studied humor, I can't say what the logic is behind it being funny...and that perplexes me.
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I can't say what the logic is behind it being funny...and that perplexes me.
Writer is probably American, and Americans conflate race with social class.
"is what you is" is an archaic or regional grammar associated with low education and social class, and hence in the US with black people.
So it may be funny, but people may find it offensive. Or maybe they just see that as how Black people talk, no judgement, just a dialect variation.
But when I went to Africa, I noticed something surprising: Zebras are actually brown and white, not black like they appear on TV.
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Wow. I think you nailed the nature of the joke.
I mean ebonics is a real thing and I don't think most African Americans consider acknowledging it as offensive but as you said it's the conclusion that this dialect/slang means a person is less educated. Then again a southern accent can get you similar treatment. I think accents take on this kind of "social tiering" in virtually any society. I have heard similar about the UK and China.
You had to go to Africa to see a Zebra? I have seen them at zoos. I think thi
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You got me to look at AC. If he wasn't being racist, then he would have put his name on the "joke". In this case, AC posting can be taken as a clear sign of bad intent. I'm calling "troll".
Hiding bad intent as AC (Score:2)
Dang nab it. I went and propagated a vacuous Subject.
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Double dang nab it. I shudda gone and spread the BS (via the vacuous Subject).
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Humor is the subversion of expectation.
As someone who studied "how is X funny" the answer is always the same. I don't mind if people want to decry humor, but pretending it's not mechanically appropriate doesn't work. If the ingredients are co-opted into some joke about rape or baby murder it's still "functional".
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You post as AC but this is a pretty gross over simplification. There are a few major theories of humor that apply in their own domains. Of those, only one really seems to apply with regard to "subversion of expectation". Reflexive and superiority humor both work differently.
I made no statement about "mechanically appropriately". I found the joke funny and I wanted a better explanation of the mechanics behind why I would have this feeling. The other poster explains that well. I don't know if I can really hav
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Obligatory ... (Score:1)
Yes (Score:3)
Are they black with white stripes, or white with black stripes.
Yes.
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... but the answer is always "No" to a question headline.
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T or F = T
F or T = T
F or F = F
????
Profit!
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Biting flies? What about biting lions? (Score:4, Interesting)
This is the first I've ever heard that zebra stripes might have anything to do with discouraging biting flies. I have read, however, that any time zoologists have attempted to place tracking devices on individual zebras the tagged zebras inevitably fall prey to predators. Apparently no matter how inconspicuous they made the tracking tags, the tags allowed predators to single tagged zebras out. Rather than chasing a bunch of different zebras because predators usually can't quite track individuals in the herd, tagged animals stand out. They thus get chased relentlessly without other zebras to take the pressure off until they tire and succumb.
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Re: Biting flies? What about biting lions? (Score:2)
Anything visible on their bodies that is unnatural and "stands out" is going to capture the attention of any animal, humans included. So it's logical that a predator is going to focus on the zerbra with the tag when deciding which one in the chaotically moving and fleeing herd to chase after.
Yeah, it really sucks to be the zebra with a bullseye painted on it's back.
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Who the fuck cares (Score:3)
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Okay, seriously (Score:5, Insightful)
Why is this on Slashdot?
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This is a burning question which has been keeping me up at night for years.
I'm glad we finally have an answer.
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Well I stand corrected! Sleep well.
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Why is this on Slashdot?
Because it ties into current human obsessions about creatures and their colors. Cool creatures like zebras have to somehow be "truly" black, even if they might appear to be equally white and black.
Because insane human obsessions are insane.
Re: Okay, seriously (Score:2)
OCD is baked into society, as much as we don't want to admit it.
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Because it is "news for nerds".
If you are not nerd enough to wonder if a zebra is white with black stripes or black with white stripes: then skip it.
Simple.
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Because it's science for geeks and nerds.
It is a quantum effect (Score:3)
A superposition of black & white at the same time.
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Zebra are just living barcodes (Score:2)
Could be (Score:1)
Could be they are pink with black and white stripes
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Neither (Score:1)
It's called camo.
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It's a grey, gray area.
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Depends on your political bias. (Score:2)
n/t
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Also, (Score:2)
how many angles can dance on the head of a pin?
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360.
Or 720 if you learned about tau.
Interesting bit of trivia I learned last week. (Score:1)
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A group of zebras is not a herd
This part is false, and frankly, moronic.
A dazzle of zebras.
This part is true, that is one of the names from a group of zebras, though one you'll never hear in conversation. There are, however, published examples proving that some few people actually have committed this atrocity.
Here is an citation that uses both "herd" and "zeal" as collective noun for Zebras.
https://www.natterandramble.co... [natterandramble.co.uk]
There can be more than one word for a thing. Making up a new word doesn't make the other words wrong.
I am fairly certain they solved this in Madagascar (Score:1)
Aichi Japan Agri confirms flies don't bite Zebras (Score:1)
An age old question... (Score:2)
An age old question...such as to-may-tow or to-mah-tow, or the Lady or the Tiger? Or as the great Louis Armstrong put it. [youtube.com] Is the glass half full or half empty? Is it -40 degrees Celsius or Farenheit? (I say its just colder than a witch's tit in a brass brazier).
I remember as a kid watching (this was the '80's when television educators were the new big thing...) the documentaries that a zebra's stripes were to confuse predators. :)
Josh K.
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Given that braziers are for heating things, how much does that narrow down the temperature?
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Good point. I used the wrong word in error--brazier instead of brassiere. My mistake, or as the rocket scientist said when the space probe went into the Sun checking his FORTRAN--oops, forgot the carry.
Josh K.
Duh! (Score:2)
"And even if you look at the three different zebra species, their skin is always the same color: black"
Just like every polar bear, why the surprise?
Alibno zebra (Score:2)
Who cares? (Score:2)
Truly an earth-shaking conundrum.
Z-Index? (Score:2)
I couldn't tell from the summary.
Already answered by Shel Silverstein (Score:2)
“I asked the Zebra,
are you black with white stripes?
Or white with black stripes?
And the zebra asked me,
Are you good with bad habits?
Or are you bad with good habits?
Are you noisy with quiet times?
Or are you quiet with noisy times?
Are you happy with some sad days?
Or are you sad with some happy days?
Are you neat with some sloppy ways?
Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?
And on and on and on and on and on and on he went.
I’ll never ask a zebra about stripes...again.”
Shel Silverstein