Do you know why Zebras have stripes? If you think the distinctive black-and-white markings provide camouflage to the animal, then it is time to change the longstanding hypothesis. Contrary to the old notions, a new study published in journal PLOS ONE has suggested that the stripes on a zebra’s body are not some kind of camouflaging protection against predators.

The study has provided sufficient proofs to reject the century-old hypothesis debated by renowned naturalists Alfred Russell Wallace and Charles Darwin, said Tim Caro, an author of the new research and a professor of wildlife biology at the University of California, Davis.

There are many theories on zebras' stripes, but most of them do not provide strong evidence to prove why the animal has these unique lines. Some longstanding hypotheses suggest the black-and-white stripes help zebras hide from predators, while others say they serve as protector against disease-carrying insects. A recent study has concluded that the markings control the animal’s body temperature and social cohesion.

Study researchers visited a field in Tanzania and captured some digital pictures for the research. They also tried to understand how predators like hyenas and lions perceive the zebra’s stripes. Amanda Melin, biological anthropology professor at the University of Calgary and lead author of the study, said, the oldest hypothesis on zebras’ striping is camouflaging, but until now, the biggest question has always been framed through human.

“We, instead, carried out a series of calculations through which we were able to estimate the distances at which lions and spotted hyenas, as well as zebras, can see zebra stripes under daylight, twilight, or during a moonless night”, Melin added.

The research suggested that the markings are difficult for predators to distinguish from a distance of about 50 meters and beyond, during daylight.