Evolution may have given the zebra stripes while their cousins the horses got away with none, but researchers are still trying to figure out what triggered the difference. In specific an evolutionary ecologist at Lund University in Sweden recently conducted an interesting science experiment.

Susanne Akesson had a theory that insects may have been part of the reason that zebras developed stripes. To test this theory she put out plastic models of black, white and striped horses and coated them all with odorless insect glue. It came to light that horseflies, a kind of insect that affects both zebras and horses, preferred the white or black horse to the striped one.

Since horseflies can lay eggs in the coat and cause infection it made sense to develop a protective mechanism for the zebras. Also horses are bred by humans and may have missed out on the evolutionary advantage due to this reason.While zebras had to pretty much fend for themselves in the African Savannah.

Susanne is hopeful that the scientific study will result in a system of protection from insects for humans. If all else fails, at least we can wear striped clothing to help reduce the number of insects that hover over us on a trek.