Decades of investigation have failed to pin down a robust explanation for the zebra’s famous stripes. Neither is there a shortage of possibilities for the giant panda’s monochromatic splodges, including heat retention, camouflage and as a warning to potential predators.
One analysis suggests that it stems ultimately from the bears’ nutritionally poor bamboo diet, which forces them to be active year-round instead of hibernating over the winter.
In which case, the pattern is a compromise between camouflage in both snowy and summer conditions.
Even if this does prove correct, there is probably still more to it, because there is good evidence that the black ears and eyes play a role in communication and individual recognition.
- It's one of the world's most beloved animals, weighs as much as a a sumo wrestler and has one of the most boring diets on the planet
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