Drunken Monkeys: http://www.livescience.com/44787-drunken-monkeys-explain-alcoholism.html
Then, while reading the Drunken Monkey article, I got side-tracked by hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds: http://www.calacademy.org/sciencetoday/hummingbird-evolution/5515004/
Then, I found this cool article on why zebras have stripes.
Zebras: http://www.calacademy.org/sciencetoday/why-zebras-have-stripes/5514895/
You pick. Read an article and summarize what you have read. Then relate it to what we have been talking about in class. Maybe you have read another evolution article that you like better. I can't wait to read it. If you find another evolution article that interests you more, please send me the link, so I can approve it.
“Are zebras black with white stripes, or white with black stripes?” The age-old question has never been answered, as both sides have a great amount of evidence to support its own. Fortunately, however, the world has found a true answer as to why these odd creatures exhibit such an odd coat. A traditional answer would follow the idea that zebras evolved stripes as a form of ‘mimicry’ of sorts to blend in with their savannah habitat to elude predators, such as lions. However, this theory has been debunked: Ever since the beginning of this ‘striped situation’ of depicting why zebras had such stripes, two scientists--Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace--have always questioned the connection of these stripes to evolution. They produced theories, two of which were the mimicry theory and a theory that suggested that these stripes would help them avoid the annoyance of blood-sucking insects, particularly flies. In our modern day, scientists decided to end the curiosity once and for all, and the professionals gathered data from both striped and unstriped zebras and overlapped the variables of each of the theories and their data. Surprisingly enough, the fly theory overruled, and this just shows the evolutionary wonder that zebras really are. Something so small such as an occasional parasitic invasion of the skin can cause the acquiring of a trait, and a species has evolved to become known for such a familiar trait. This driving force of nature that can sometimes be controversial may be odd, but evolution is one, if not the most powerful and essential part of our world.
ReplyDeleteI just read the zebras one and the humming birds article. I thought both were very interesting and answered some questions like "Why Do Zebras Have Stripes?" Zebras evolved into striped animals to keep flies and bugs from biting them and their stripes provide camouflage. Like cats lions colorblind and the black and white stripes protect the zebras. I also didn't know there are so many types of humming birds. I just thought there were dark green ones or blue ones or light green ones. No, there are 338 different species of humming birds. They began to evolve because their environment changed.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSm7BcQHWXk
ReplyDeleteIt said that this could be an insight to humans drinking problems
Drunken monkeys sounded the most interesting to me so I decided to do that one. In the article the author was the son of a father who abused alcohol and that caused him to become interested on why is humans are so obsessed with alcohol. His research then took him to discover that the source of alcohol or as it is described ethanol, which is prominent in ripe fruits. In concluding that, well who then eats ripe fruits now a days. Monkeys! And other animals of that sort. His thought was that because monkey developed a taste for ethanol and that is said to where humans originate from that is why we crave it. But one of his coworkers at UC Berkeley explained that it's not because of monkeys why we crave it, it's simply because humans have been dealing with alcohol for thousands of years and that is why we crave it so much. In relation to what we are studying in class evolution could have caused our craving for alcohol both arguments work for the case just depends on how far back. Was it because of monkeys or because we been drinking it for so long. Both statements conclude that evolution gave us the tolerance and craving for alcohol.
ReplyDeleteOut of the 3 options, I found that the Zebras were the most interesting to me.They say they have not yet found exactly why Zebras are colored the way they are...but think. Tigers also have a similar coat pattern that is striking with orange and black , but the only difference is that they are predators. So my thinking leads to that maybe Zebras were predators at one point until they were eventually over powered by another species with their white and black striped fur still remaining. Another hypothesis of mine would be just like poisonous frogs, zebras have odd colorings and patterns for the purpose of driving away predators(further back and time), but their current predator must of had an ancestor who figured out that zebras weren't bad to eat. I may be wrong, but those are he first things that popped into my head!! This really made me think about evolution and how WE, as a world have really come from. There are multiple discoveries human-kind has found, but it's nice to know nature keeps some of its secrets!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article on zebras, I found it was really interesting that all along zebras didn't have stripes because they wanted to confuse the king of the jungle, but to avoid the annoyance of flies. There were originally 5 different suggestions on why zebras had stripes though the one they couldn't rule out was the fly conclusion, considering a zebra's hair is significantly shorter than other animals. This highly relates to our subject of evolution because based on the environment that zebras lived, they adapted over a long period of time and changed to black and white stripes and shorter hair to avoid the blood sucking insects they can't scratch with hands. We could be wrong but this is the best that Tim Caro, a UC Davis professor, could conclude. I like zebras, this blog was very interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteAfter browsing at all three articles, the one involving zebras had perked my interest the most. Apparently the common question about the origin of zebra stripes is still a question today. Compared to the common belief that their stripes are a defense mechanism, there have also been other hypotheses behind their stripes for reasons such as camouflage, heat management, act as a social function, and avoid bug bites. Originally, this question had began during the time of both Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, yet over time, UC Davis professor Tim Caro and his colleagues had formed an experiment on three African striped zebra species as well as their unstriped Asian relatives to put these hypotheses to the test. Surprisingly, only the hypothesis involving bug bites remained. After noting each species' geographical and physical features, the men concluded that those with stripes had more of them as biting flies increased in a particular area. It is interesting to know how different organisms can evolve as a whole once given enough time, but it is also astonishing to know how a simple change such as weather or competition can aid in determining a future generation's structure. Like Darwin deducted, there are multiple variations of species, and those who survive add onto the evolutionary chain. His theories then can still be applied to day, but rather than just zebras, his knowledge can be taken towards hundreds of other organisms as well.
ReplyDeleteThere are many hypothesizes on why zebras are white and black striped. For social interaction, a coolant for the sun or stripes to confuse pray while running. Tim Caro ruled out the all of the hypothesize except of blood sucking insects. Zebras are camouflaged for some beneficial reason. Otherwise they would have not been the dominant animal in there area and they would of been replaced by a more adapted version of their species. My hypothesis is they survived because there was a very deadly disease a long time ago and fly's could contract these diseases and give them to the zebras ancestors. So the ancestor of the zebras population was decimated and only the zebra population survived.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the article about the zebras because out of the three options, I liked zebras the best. The article said that for many years people believed that zebras have stripes to blend in and hide from predators. This is what I always believed because it makes sense. Although the stripes may help with camouflage, this is not their purpose. Studies have been done that tested the thickness, location, and intensity of the different zebras’ stripes. They ruled out all option but to keep flies from biting them. Overtime, zebras must have evolved and developed this trait. This relates to what we are learning in class because we have talked about how organisms survive if they have the more favorable trait. Stripes on a zebra must have been the favorable trait and they passed on to their offspring generation after generation.
ReplyDeleteIf you're giving the option between drunk monkeys or Zebras: I will always choose the drunk monkey. The fact that the monkeys can detect alcohol in fruit boggles my mind. I mean sure, when I smell something, I know its alcohol; because of the distinct liquid. But the fact that the author had an alcoholic father almost made the situation dire. it was almost like he was trying to find a reason for is father to start drinking.
ReplyDeleteThe hypothesis that monkeys and animals can smell ethanol is mind very interesting. However I think that the reason monkeys enjoy ethanol is because its a mind altering substance. Isn't that why humans like it? I think the monkeys tried it and got addicted almost like a monkey alcoholic. The reason they can find it is because one monkey really liked it and that passed down to generation to generation. Just as alcohol in humans is.
ReplyDeleteI really like how they analyzed the Zebras' stripes. As a child I wondered why they had them because they really didn't look like it was that great of a camouflage. I have always wondered and now that I know it's to protect them from the flies it's kind of disappointing. I thought it would confuse their predators with their surroundings or act something like how a cuddle fish puts its prey in a trance but not so powerful.
ReplyDeletesorry about that keyboard spazzed out.
ReplyDeletei read the drunken monkey article and its very possible that animals that associate the smell of alcohol with ripe fruit would know whats good to eat and what not to eat. other animals would not so. but this is not extremely use fully its not like it would have a big impact so i think it might be kinda like hair color where its not super lifesaving but it was important to the monkeys so i think maybe some people have this evolutionary slight advantage and some don't.
I chose to read the article about zebras, and I have to say that I never expected flies to be related to zebras' stripes. Like the article said, I always believed that their stripes had to do with avoiding predators. I find it really interesting that the theory that zebras' stripes existed because they wanted to avoid flies, was the only one they did not rule out. After reading this article, I am wondering what this discovery could mean for us. If Zebras' stripes help them avoid flies, does this mean that scientists can find a way for humans to avoid flies which would help limit the amount of disease passed down to humans from these creatures. Are the stripes what keep the flies away, or is it something else about the zebras?
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the drunken monkeys article as it sounded the most interesting to me. The theory that Dudley presents is quite interesting, and gives us a new way of looking at humans' own fascination with alcohol. Why do people drink? Many might say for the taste, for the buzz that comes with it, or even just because all of their friends do it. But this article shows us the evolutionary side of things, the scientific side that says there is a deeper cause at work than pleasure. Monkeys and other animals might find ripe fruit by the smell of ethanol (or alcohol) created by the slightly fermented fruit flesh. Over time this may have translated from the pleasure associated with finding a ripe piece of fruit to pleasure from the smell of ethanol itself, leading humans to find a way to make alcohol alone, without the hindrance of fruit in the way. Although we no longer have to find food by smell, it is fascinating to know what leads to ordinary human desires.
ReplyDeleteI read the article about the zebras. I think its awesome that their stripes wars off flies. I think thats really cool. These zebras are evolving by warding off annoying and disease il flies. If humans could do this with Mosquitos that would be great. Or with homework. Just kidding. But this is an example of natural selection because the zebras are showing that they are more fit to love in that environment than the flies because their stripes we'd them off.
ReplyDeleteThe zebra article is about how scientists were trying to figure out why zebras have stripes. After many tests, they figured out that the only reason zebras have stripes is to protect from blood sucking flies. This relates to what we learned in class about Lamarck's idea that a species can evolve based on the factors in its environment. The article said that zebras have shorter hair, so that makes them prone to biting insects. So over time, zebras developed a striped pattern to protect against the flies.
ReplyDeleteI chose the article about drunken monkeys it sounds the most interesting and it seems different than other things we learned about. Dudley had an alcoholic father growing up and when he was older in the Panamanian forest he noticed monkeys eating ripe fruit which contains small amounts of alcohol and came up with the idea the alcoholism is evolutionary. He proposed that fruit-eating animals and insects used the smell of ethanol to find ripe fruit. Scientists are unsure about the hypothesis and one of Dudley's colleagues found the hypothesis unsupported and speculative. It is interesting to think that humans have evolved to associate the smell of alcohol with ripe fruit.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the article on zebras and it shocked me quite a bit. I always thought that the zebras stripes acted as camouflage, I would have never expected them to act as fly repellent. Also what surprised me was that this was the only hypothesis that they didn't rule out. Protection against blood sucking flies is kind of outrageous compared to camouflage so thats why it shocked me. This article shows how evolution can be used as protection against things. This article also led me to think that if we had the wrong idea of why zebras evolved to have stripes we could possibly have the wrong idea about many other reasons on why some animals evolve.
ReplyDeleteA monkey getting drunk off of fruit sounded absolutely crazy at first and then became more and more interesting. These monkeys have learned the smell and taste of the alcohol within the fruit, over time it just evolved. This smell is letting the animals know that the fruit is ripe. Tens of thousands of animals are consuming these fruits all the time, many, many drunk animals on the run.
ReplyDeleteI decided to read about the drunken monkeys because the name of the article sounded funny. The article was about a man whose father was an alcoholic. This caused him to be interested in why humans crave it so much. He noticed how monkeys always eat ripe fruit which is where alcohol is produced. He created a theory that because the monkeys crave these ripe fruit so much it has evolved and caused humans to crave alcohol as well. This relates to what we have been learning about in class because it talks about how monkeys adapted a trait and eventually that trait has been passed on to humans. This is a prime example of evolution even though it has probably caused more harm than good. This article was very interesting and I am curious to see if his drunken monkey theory can be proven.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of fascinating animals, a hummingbird is not the picture that pops in my head. However, after reading the article on the little birds I am awestruck and curious about how they have adapted to their environment. The first fact to blow me away was that hummingbirds beat their wings up to sixty times a second! The article continued to explain facts and hypotheses about the evolutionary process. Scientists speculate that the ancestors of all hummingbirds originated in Asia and over much time found their way to South America- perhaps via a land bridge-and continued migration into Central America, North America, and the Caribbean. However, this theory does not take into account the interdependence of hummingbirds and the plants they feed on/pollinate. The New World flora must have evolved to attract the hummingbirds and the hummingbirds must have adapted to the new plant types. In addition, the hummingbird has much potential to keep evolving and even now more species are originating than going extinct.
ReplyDeleteI can connect this information to what I learned in class quite easily. The hummingbirds and plants evolving side by side because they are closely intertwined is called co-evolution.
I chose to read about hummingbirds because anything that beats its wings 60 times per second is worth reading about. Also think about how much energy that uses and how much oxygen it cycles through. Hummingbird like fossils have been around for 28-34 million years. Clearly this means they have had lots of time to evolve. And through this time different relatives, have gone to different areas and have evolved for that area. And now there is a total of 284 different species of hummingbirds.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article about zebras, I was shocked when I found out the stripes on zebras were because of biting- flies. I would've had guessed that it was because it was the zebras camouflage. The article explained that since the hairs on zebras are so short, it allows the mouth-part of flies to reach it, unlike other mammals in the same area. Since we are learning about evolution, I was wondering, what did zebras look like before they received this favorable trait that made them thrive more than the zebras who didnt have the stripes?
ReplyDeleteFor my article, I chose to read about the Zebras and Why they have Stripes. This article is mainly about how zebras stripes provide camouflage, disrupt predatory attacks, act as a mechanism of heat management, are socially function able, and lastly, to avoid flies that attack. I thought that the stripes were just born that way, but actually, they serve a purpose. They can distract and even camouflage the zebra from its prey, which I didn't know before. I also found it funny how these animals have such short hair, or ben have hair at all. Overall, this article taught us the main functions for why zebras have stripes, but yet we still don't know if zebras had stripes for ever, or if because of evolution, the stripes have grown onto their body.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the zebra article, I have come to no real conclusion on the basic reasoning for which a species evolves or from what mutation. If evolving is only to come from mutations, are mutations able to be induced? Anyways, back to the Zebras. I found it extremely interesting to read about the evolution theories amongst the zebra populations that currently inhabit our planet. I almost wonder if the body of an organism can force itself into evolution (by genetic mutation) to protect itself. If so, why might so many species be endangered or extinct? The entire concept baffles me and I implore our modern scientists to continue with their studies so that we might better understand how evolution works.
ReplyDeleteWhat would Thomas Malthus say about extinction?
DeleteI chose the article on zebras' strips because I always wondered why they were striped. "Over the years, five major hypotheses were posed: that zebras’ stripes exist to provide camouflage; disrupt predatory attack by visually confusing carnivores; act as a mechanism of heat management; serve a social function; and finally, to avoid ectoparasite attack, such as from biting flies." Tim Caro decided to figure out which hypothesis was actually correct. He experimented on all species of zebra and there close relatives. He figured out that it was from the biting flies and how annoying it was for the zebras. Apparently, zebras' hair is much shorter than their relatives and other animals in their environment that the flies do actually effect them. They have the stripes to keep away the flies. This is really interesting because you would think they had stripes for camouflage not because of biting flies. This relates to what we are learning because zebras evolved causing them to have stripes and adapt to their surroundings. “No one knew why zebras have such striking coloration,” Caro says. “But solving evolutionary conundrums increases our knowledge of the natural world and may spark greater commitment to conserving it.”
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the article about zebras and their stripes. I found it very interesting to learn that their stripes are not used for camouflage against predators. The stripes actually help to avoid attacks from flies. The article explained that zebras may have evolved stripes over other animals with hooves because their hair is shorter than mouth of the flies. This makes sense because if their hair is shorter than the fly's mouth, the easier it is for the fly to bite the zebra. With so many different theories about why zebras have stripes, it is very hard to depict what the correct answer is. Who knows if this is even the answer to why zebras have evolved stripes. This is is why evolution is so controversial.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the drunken monkeys article because it seemed to appeal to what I felt like reading by the title. The overall question presented to the reader was " Why do people crave the taste of alcohol?". He draws you in a bit with personal information and how he became interested in the scientific reasoning for why we humans often take a liking towards alcohol. Dudley took notice of Monkeys, along with other organisms, that can often find fermenting fruit by its scent of ethanol (aka. alcohol). Overtime I think that we changed, if we are realated to monkeys through ancestors, then our ways of getting food has changed greatly, but maybe our ways of natrual craving for alchol can be trased from there. Or it could have simply been caused by the build up of accidentally eating too fresh fruit left alone to long on accident.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article about hummingbirds, I was surprised that such a tiny animal could be so complex. So complex that they have extreme qualities that no other birds have. There have been hummingbird-like fossils found dating back to 22 million years ago, and since then they have evolved and diversified and uniquely adapted to their environment. Despite their size, their hippocampal formation is larger than any bird. I found this interesting, because this makes it possible for the hummingbirds to remember the exact location of a flower they had previously gotten nectar from. With evolutionary advantages like that, it’s no wonder the hummingbird has continued successfully populate many areas of the world.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read about Zebras, and I was suprised to read that a benefiting reason they have their stripes is from flies. If something as simple as flies can change a species what could happen to other organisms?
ReplyDeleteAlcoholism is a major issue in the United States. In the article I read, it is speculated that perhaps the addiction to alcohol is an evolutionary trait. I feel like we've been over this before with Lamarck's Theory. The sensory pleasure given from alcohol is a trait acquired during the lifetime, is it not? Lamarck's Theory that you pass on acquired traits to the offspring was disproved for evolution. Therefore, I do not believe the want of alcohol can be an evolutionary trait. Sure, we have ancestors and similar species who have consumed the substance like us, but I find that more a coincidence. I mean we use the wood from trees to create homes, like birds, but that doesn't make that an evolutionary trait. Perhaps that example was a bit of a stretch, but I simply cannot see the reason behind this scientist's hypothesis. Alcoholism is a choice.
ReplyDeleteZebras coloring relates to our Biology class because Darwin and Wallace thought that the coloring was a protection, or camouflage, to protect from predators. However, after scientists researched it, they realized that the pattern is there to fight off the blood sucking flies. The patterns confuse them, and keep the bugs off of the zebras. The reason the zebras need the pattern is because their hair is short enough for the bugs to attach and eat them alive. This relates to Evolution because the zebras evolved to get rid of the fly issue.
ReplyDeleteI read the article, about zebras having strips. I thought I already knew the answer to that question, camouflage. After reading this article, it turns out I was mistaken. Darwin and Wallace studied this question for years, and ruled out all reasoning, accept safety from the flies. Zebras have particularly short hair. This makes them good targets for biting flies. Their issue made them evolve into being striped. The strips on the Zebras confuse the flies, and do not get bitten as often as a result of this. This is a good example of what we are learning because the Zebras gained their advantage by evolving, which is the unit we have just started.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, the drunken monkey theory is unique to believe but is impossible. To say that our drunkenness is evolutionary is quite upsurd, since it is easy for most organisms to become intoxicated, not just monkeys and humans. The fruits that were eaten would not have the power to intoxicate previous creatures, and even if the did become "drunk", it would damage them and make them less favorable in their environment. Predators would have an easier job at catching prey, so what ever trait they had was either killed off or has been in the organism for a very long time. Thus, our ability to become drunk is not evolutionary.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the article about zebra stripes, I was shocked to discover that the predominant reason behind these was not for camouflage. Apparently, I wasn't the only one either. the article states that these stripes help ward off predators, help with social functions, and direct heat. After newest studies however, scientists can conclude that these stripes can also ward off pesky biting flies. It is unknown WHY these flies find them so repelling, but it sure helps! (I also like how someone commented about if the locals were to wear stripes on their bodies they might be protected too. But hopefully through faux fur or painted stripes...)
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article about the drunken monkeys I found it interesting that something such as ¨alcohol¨ was something the monkeys have an acquired taste for. We already have many common characteristics with these animals. So if monkeys are one of our ancestors this could be proof or just that the monkeys stumbled upon this by accident.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article about hummingbirds, I have many questions about their pattern of evolution. It's amazing how the species has been on many different lands, and even continents. How would even one bird make it across that many miles of water to South America, much less the entire species? I find it interesting how the little, complex birds could make such a jump in their evolving patterns. What could have caused them to immigrate to such a location? What caused them to emigrate out of their past habitat? I also can guess that their must be many slight mutations among the species of hummingbirds to create 338 recognized species for them to evolve to frequently. This article really made me question and think about the several evolution patterns.
ReplyDeleteI have always wondered as a child "what the heck is that humming bird doing? " Well once I got older i realized that they were natures natural hovercraft. Yea i known that sounds weird but to me it makes sense. Well once reading the article I got to learn even more, I can't believe that humming birds were thought to evolve from Swifts. I looked up Swifts and i can't believe how such different birds are believed to be related. This makes me wonder about other species. Like for instance if a modern house cat evolved from a lion or tigers or if frogs used to be lizards (unlikely) but, evolution is so cool!
ReplyDeleteI have always wondered why zebras have black and white stripes; these stripes definitely do not camouflage them, since they stand out so much. After reading the article, however, I found out that zebras confuse their predators with the overwhelming amount of stripes. I assume this is why they always stay together in large packs. The article also states that by using this striped mechanism, they are spared from annoying, blood-sucking insects. Still, no answer is certain regarding these unique yet brilliant animals; evolution sounds very much like a puzzle, when you think about it! How and why some things came to be is really intriguing.
ReplyDeleteI read the article on why zebra's have stripes and found it interesting that it is so they can keep away the flies. Scientists had 5 theories as to why zebras have stripes. They thought it was to provide camouflage, disrupt predatory attack by visually confusing carnivores, act as a mechanism of heat management, to serve a social function and to avoid flies. Scientists collected data like the thickness, locations and intensity of the stripes. Then "they compared the zebras geographic ranges with different variables, including woodland areas, ranges of large predators, temperature, and the geographic distribution of tsetse flies and tabanid biting flies. Finally, they examined where the striped animals and these variables overlapped."
ReplyDeleteThe new paper published on the evolution of the hummingbird is simply another beautiful exemplification of the diversity of life, and it’s incredible ability to adapt to even the slightest changes of environment. With the hummingbirds, it started off with their latest descendants in europe and asia. Parts of the swift and treeswift population began to break away from their typical ecosystem, and over countless years, immigrated to south america, where they then developed into what we now know as the modern hummingbird. Perfectly tailored to survive and thrive in their new environment, they’re now extremely lightweight, and have specific patterns of mating and pollinating and feeding to keep them alive. The cool part to me though, is that this isn’t specific to hummingbirds. We see it everywhere in life, including humans. In a TED talk given by David Epstein, he explains how different people from different parts of the world, have slightly differentiated physiological traits that can now help them excel in athletics, just as they had to excel in their environment in order to survive when the human race was more primitive. He uses the example of People from the Kalenjin ethnic group of Kenya; they make fantastic elite distance runners, because the environment they’ve evolved to live in gives them extremely long, thin legs. To listen to the full talk, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8COaMKbNrX0
ReplyDeleteAt around 6:10 he begins talking about gene pools, and around 10:40 he begins on Kenyan distance runners if you’d like to skip around, though the whole thing is intriguing. Weather south american Hummingbird or Kenyan distance runner, everyone and everything has adaptations to be the best suited for their environment. This is what is incredible about evolution; this is what is incredible about life on earth.
Totally awesome. I had never seen that TED talk before. Great find.
DeletePersonally, I though the Drunken Monkey thing was a little bit strange for an idea. I know as scientists we need to try and find new ideas for everything we know around us, but this just comes off as absurd. It relates to what we are talking about due to the fact that maybe our common ancestors ate fruit with traces of alcohol or something, I don't know! It is a strange and confusing hypothesis, and while interesting, is to strange for my liking
ReplyDeleteAll three species of zebra have stripes, this part is fairly obvious. (I didn't even know there was 3 species though...) This "stripe riddle" has puzzled scientists,including Darwin (I just related this to evolution :-0),for over a century. After National Geographic got exhausting and painstaking data on this question, I will now take it from their website and share it with you. Zebras have stripes to: repel insects, provide camouflage, confuse predators, reduce body temperature, and perhaps help the animals interact socially. I don't know maybe the zebra with the coolest stripes gets the best date for prom or something. Apparently the stripes are pretty good insect repellent though, as clouds of insects will avoid them and move to other herbivores. To finish us off, here's a fun 2 minute video of zebras fighting. (I don't know if you can post a link but I guess we'll find out)
ReplyDelete.http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/caught-in-the-act/videos/zebras-deadly-kick/
I thought it was amazing on how the zebras were able to evolve against something as small as flies. Prior to this discovery of why zebras have stripes there were many theories as to why they had stripes. These include disrupt predatory attack by visually confusing carnivores; act as a mechanism of heat management; serve a social function; and finally, to avoid ectoparasite attack, such as from biting flies. After much study it was found to be solely flies. Recherches still don't know why they evolved this way.
ReplyDeleteI chose my article right away for the controversial topic for which it covered, (Where is Human Evolution heading?) At first I was startled at the fact that anybody would dare predict such a large topic that the author in question chose. Then I started to dig deeper. According to the author, we as a species are evolving at the fastest pace ever. As the world evolves we evolve to fit it in better.The key example used in the 5th paragraph is the human consumption of lactose(sugar) in milk. 11,000 years ago the majority of humans were not farming and producing milk from cattle. Now in Northern Germany, over 95% of its citizen's bodies accept the lactose sugar in milk. To sum it up, our bodies evolved over time to allow themselves to digest lactose in milk. Obviously the term " Lactose intolerant" is still quite common, it is quite remarkable what is happening from generation to generation without us even knowing. With technology only growing every day I can only begin to imagine what amazing feats will take place in our bodies through evolution. The fear I have about the topic, however, is when can we become to evolutionary perfect for our own bodies? Is there ever a point at which we will evolve into almost the perfect species and evolution will have little to improve upon? My brain is sizzling at the thought of many of these questions. I will certainly not be around to witness much during my lifetime, but I definitely hope to learn as much as I can about are evolutionary past.
ReplyDeleteP.S props for using an OSU alumni in the picture.
http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2008/07/24/where-is-human-evolution-heading
Zebras have always been one of my favorite animals. Mostly because of their distinct coloring. Like the article said, there have been many hypotheses on why Zebras are striped black and white. But the one tested was to protect them from bloodsucking flies. Being in the warm climate there are a lot of bugs. Zebras evolved to have these stripes. One probably had stripes and it survived longer than the other because it didn’t get diseases. Therefore the stripes evolved making the Zebra more defensible to flies.
ReplyDeleteThe article i read was about the evolution of zebras and them developing stripes. The first people to discover that zebras had stripes was Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. They said that zebras developed these stripes for camouflage against predators. They also protect the zebra from ectoparasites like biting flies. This relates to evolution because before Charles Darwin saw the zebras, no one knew zebras had stripes.
ReplyDeleteI read the article about why zebras have stripes.wow! i knever would've thought that their stripes were for protection against flies. I always thought they were for camouflage and markings to make it easier for babies to find their moms. I think it's so interesing how something we thought we knew for so long could be so wrong. This relates to bio because Darwin said that organisms with adaptations survive and pass them down to heir offspring, and that is how the zebras evolved because their striped help hem survive agains bugs.
ReplyDeleteI had to go with zebras because every since I was young, and my favorite stuffed animal was a zebra named “Zulu”, they have always held a special place in my heart. According to the article, for many years people believed that zebras have stripes to blend in and hide from predators. I had always agreed with that because it made sense to me that it would be harder to take one zebra from the herd if they all looked like one giant mass and not a group of individuals. Although the stripes may help with camouflage, this is not , apparently, their purpose. Studies have been done that tested the thickness, location, and intensity of the different zebras’ stripes. They ruled out all options but to keep flies from biting them. Overtime, zebras must have evolved and developed this trait. This relates to what we are learning in class because we were talked about how organisms are more likely to survive if they have the more favorable trait. Stripes on a zebra must have been the favorable trait and they passed on to their offspring generation after generation.
ReplyDelete