Scientists paint cows to confirm zebra stripes deter insects

A new study has claimed that zebra stripes have the evolutionary function of deterring insects and biting flies. To confirm the hypothesis, scientists painted cows with stripes and recorded fly-repelling behaviours like head throw, ear beat, leg stamp, skin twitch and tail flick. The study found that the process of zebra-striping reduced fly-repelling behaviours by about 20%.