词条 | Zebra |
释义 |
| name = Zebra | fossil_range = Neogene–present | image = Plains Zebra Equus quagga.jpg | image_alt = A herd of plains zebra ("Equus quagga") | image_caption = A herd of plains zebra (Equus quagga) | parent = Equus | includes =
| excludes =
All other Equus species }} Zebras ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|z|iː|b|r|ə}} {{respell|ZEE|brə}}, {{small|UK also}} {{IPAc-en|ˈ|z|ɛ|b|r|ə}} {{respell|ZEB|rə}})[1] are several species of African equids (horse family) united by their distinctive black-and-white striped coats. Their stripes come in different patterns, unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds. Unlike their closest relatives, horses and donkeys, zebras have never been truly domesticated. There are three species of zebras: the plains zebra, the mountain zebra and the Grévy's zebra. The plains zebra and the mountain zebra belong to the subgenus Hippotigris, while Grévy's zebra is the sole species of subgenus Dolichohippus. The latter resembles an ass, to which zebras are closely related, while the former two look more horse-like. All three belong to the genus Equus, along with other living equids. The unique stripes of zebras make them one of the animals most familiar to people. They occur in a variety of habitats, such as grasslands, savannas, woodlands, thorny scrublands, mountains, and coastal hills. Various anthropogenic factors have had a severe impact on zebra populations, in particular hunting for skins and habitat destruction. Grévy's zebra and the mountain zebra are endangered. While plains zebras are much more plentiful, one subspecies, the quagga, became extinct in the late 19th century – though there is currently a plan, called the Quagga Project, that aims to breed zebras that are phenotypically similar to the quagga in a process called breeding back. EtymologyThe name "zebra" in English dates back to c. 1600, from Italian zebra, perhaps from Portuguese,[2] which in turn is said to be Congolese (as stated in the Oxford English Dictionary). The Encarta Dictionary says its ultimate origin is uncertain, but perhaps it may come from Latin equiferus meaning "wild horse"; from equus ("horse") and ferus ("wild, untamed").[3] The word was traditionally pronounced with a long initial vowel, but over the course of the 20th century, the pronunciation with the short initial vowel became the usual one in the UK and Commonwealth.[4] The pronunciation with a long initial vowel remains standard in the United States. A group of zebras are referred to as a herd, dazzle, or zeal.[5] Taxonomy and evolution{{see also|Evolution of the horse}}Zebras evolved among the Old World horses within the last 4 million years. It has been suggested that zebras are paraphyletic and that striped equids evolved more than once. Extensive stripes are posited to have been of little use to equids that live in low densities in deserts (like asses and some horses) or ones that live in colder climates with shaggy coats and annual shading (like some horses).[6] However, molecular evidence supports zebras as a monophyletic lineage.[6][7][8] The zebra has between 32 and 46 chromosomes, depending on the species. ClassificationThere are three extant species. Collectively, two of the species have eight subspecies (seven extant). Zebra populations are diverse, and the relationships between, and the taxonomic status of, several of the subspecies are not well known.
The plains zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchelli) is the most common, and has or had about six subspecies distributed across much of southern and eastern Africa. It, or particular subspecies of it, have also been known as the common zebra, the dauw, Burchell's zebra (actually the subspecies Equus quagga burchellii), Chapman's zebra, Wahlberg's zebra, Selous' zebra, Grant's zebra, Boehm's zebra and the quagga (another extinct subspecies, Equus quagga quagga). The mountain zebra (Equus zebra) of southwest Africa tends to have a sleek coat with a white belly and narrower stripes than the plains zebra. It has two subspecies and is classified as vulnerable. Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi) is the largest type, with a long, narrow head, making it appear rather mule-like. It is an inhabitant of the semi-arid grasslands of Ethiopia and northern Kenya. Grévy's zebra is the rarest species, and is classified as endangered. Although zebra species may have overlapping ranges, they do not interbreed. In captivity, plains zebras have been crossed with mountain zebras. The hybrid foals lacked a dewlap and resembled the plains zebra apart from their larger ears and their hindquarters pattern. Attempts to breed a Grévy's zebra stallion to mountain zebra mares resulted in a high rate of miscarriage. In captivity, crosses between zebras and other (non-zebra) equines have produced several distinct hybrids, including the zebroid, zeedonk, zony, and zorse. In certain regions of Kenya, plains zebras and Grévy's zebra coexist, and fertile hybrids occur.[9] The Hagerman horse (Equus simplicidens) is sometimes referred to as the American zebra due to perceived similarities to the plains zebra, and sometimes depicted as striped. However, consensus appears to be that it wasn't particularly closely related to either Hippotigiris nor Dolichohippus, nor is there unambiguous evidence that it had stripes.[10] Physical attributesSize and weightThe common plains zebra is about {{convert|1.2|-|1.3|m|in|abbr=on}} at the shoulder with a body ranging from {{convert|2|-|2.6|m|ft|abbr=on}} long with a {{convert|0.5|m|in|abbr=on}} tail. It can weigh up to {{convert|350|kg|abbr=on}}, males being slightly bigger than females. Grévy's zebra is considerably larger, while the mountain zebra is somewhat smaller.[11] StripesIt was previously believed that zebras were white animals with black stripes, since some zebras have white underbellies. Embryological evidence, however, shows that the animal's background color is black and the white stripes and bellies are additions.[12] It is likely that the stripes are caused by a combination of factors.[13][14][15] The stripes are typically vertical on the head, neck, forequarters, and main body, with horizontal stripes at the rear and on the legs of the animal. A wide variety of hypotheses have been proposed to account for the evolution of the striking stripes of zebras. The more traditional of these (1 and 2, below) relate to camouflage.
GaitsZebras have four gaits: walk, trot, canter and gallop. They are generally slower than horses, but their great stamina helps them outrun predators. When chased, a zebra will zig-zag from side to side, making it more difficult for the predator to attack. When cornered, the zebra will rear up and kick or bite its attacker. SensesZebras have excellent eyesight. Like most ungulates, the zebra's eyes are on the sides of its head, giving it a wide field of view. Zebras also have night vision, although not as advanced as that of most of their predators.{{Citation needed|date=August 2014}} Zebras have excellent hearing and have larger, rounder ears than horses; like other ungulates, zebras can turn their ears in almost any direction. In addition to superb eyesight and hearing, zebras also have acute senses of smell and taste. DiseasesBeing an equid, zebras are subject to many of the same common infections and diseases of the domestic horse.
Two Grévy's zebras were poisoned in 1995 by leaves from a hybrid red maple tree (acer rubrum) at the St. Louis Zoo. Horses were first reported in 1981 to be susceptible and even a small amount of the leaves can be toxic to ponies. In 2000, a zebra was reported to be infected with a nematode, halicephalobus, usually associated with decaying plant material.[25] Ecology and behavior{{unreferenced section|date=March 2013}}HaremsLike most members of the horse family, zebras are highly social. Their social structure, however, depends on the species. Mountain zebras and plains zebras live in groups, known as 'harems', consisting of one stallion with up to six mares and their foals. Bachelor males either live alone or with groups of other bachelors until they are old enough to challenge a breeding stallion. When attacked by packs of hyenas or wild dogs a zebra group will huddle together with the foals in the middle while the stallion tries to ward them off. Unlike the other zebra species, Grévy's zebras do not have permanent social bonds. A group of these zebras rarely stays together for more than a few months. The foals stay with their mothers, while adult males live alone. Like the other two zebra species, bachelor male zebras will organize in groups. Like horses, zebras sleep standing up, and only sleep when neighbors are around to warn them of predators. CommunicationZebras communicate with each other with high-pitched barks and whinnying. Grévy's zebras make mulelike brays. A zebra's ears signify its mood. When a zebra is in a calm, tense or friendly mood, its ears stand erect. When it is frightened, its ears are pushed forward. When angry, the ears are pulled backward. When surveying an area for predators, zebras will stand in an alert posture with ears erect, head held high, and staring. When tense, they will also snort. When a predator is spotted or sensed, a zebra will bark (or bray) loudly. Food and foragingZebras feed almost entirely on grasses, but may occasionally eat shrubs, herbs, twigs, leaves and bark. Their digestive systems allow them to subsist on diets of lower nutritional quality than that necessary for other herbivores. Reproduction{{further|Plains zebra#Reproduction|Grévy's zebra#Reproduction}}Female zebras mature earlier than the males, and a mare may have her first foal by the age of three. Males are not able to breed until the age of five or six. Mares may give birth to one foal every twelve months. She nurses the foal for up to a year. Like horses, zebras are able to stand, walk and suckle shortly after they are born. A zebra foal is brown and white instead of black and white at birth. Plains and mountain zebra foals are protected by their mothers, as well as the head stallion and the other mares in their group. Grévy's zebra foals have only their mother as a regular protector, since, as noted above, Grévy's zebra groups often disband after a few months. Interaction with humansDomesticationAttempts have been made to train zebras for riding, since they have better resistance than horses to African diseases. While occasionally successful, most of these attempts failed due to the zebra's more unpredictable nature and tendency to panic under stress. For this reason, zebra-mules or zebroids (crosses between any species of zebra and a horse, pony, donkey or ass) are preferred over purebred zebras. {{citation needed|date=February 2019}} In England, the zoological collector Walter Rothschild frequently used zebras to draw a carriage. In 1907, Rosendo Ribeiro, the first doctor in Nairobi, Kenya, used a riding zebra for house calls. In the mid-19th century, Governor George Grey imported zebras to New Zealand from his previous posting in South Africa, and used them to pull his carriage on his privately owned Kawau Island. Captain Horace Hayes, in "Points of the Horse" (circa 1893), compared the usefulness of different zebra species. In 1891, Hayes broke a mature, intact mountain zebra stallion to ride in two days' time, and the animal was quiet enough for his wife to ride and be photographed upon. He found the Burchell's zebra easy to break, and considered it ideal for domestication, as it was immune to the bite of the tsetse fly. He considered the quagga (now extinct) well-suited to domestication due to being easy to train to saddle and harness.[26] ConservationModern man has had great impact on the zebra population. Zebras were, and still are, hunted for their skins, and for meat. They also compete with livestock for forage[27] and are sometimes culled. The Cape mountain zebra was hunted to near extinction, with less than 100 individuals by the 1930s. The population has since increased to about 700 due to conservation efforts. Both mountain zebra subspecies are currently protected in national parks, but are still endangered. The Grévy's zebra is also endangered. Hunting and competition from livestock have greatly decreased their population. Because of the population's small size, environmental hazards, such as drought, are capable of affecting the entire species. Plains zebras are much more numerous and have a healthy population. Nevertheless, they too have been reduced by hunting and loss of habitat to farming. One subspecies, the quagga, is now extinct. Cultural depictionsZebras have been the subject of African folk tales which tell how they got their stripes. According to a San folk tale of Namibia, the zebra was once all white, but acquired its black stripes after a fight with a baboon over a waterhole. After kicking the baboon so hard, the zebra lost his balance and tripped over a fire, and the fire sticks left scorch marks all over his white coat.[28] In the film Fantasia, two centaurs are depicted being half human and half zebra, instead of the typical half human and half horse.[29] Zebras are a popular subject in art.[30] The fourth Mughal emperor Jahangir (r.1605–24), commissioned a painting of the zebra, which was completed by Ustad Mansur.[31] Zebra stripes are also a popular style for furniture, carpets and fashion. When depicted in movies and cartoons, zebras are most often miscellaneous characters, but have had some starring roles, notably in Madagascar, Racing Stripes and Khumba. One of the recurring characters in Friendship is Magic is a zebra named Zecora. Zebras also serve as mascots and symbols for products and corporations, notably Zebra Technologies and Fruit Stripe gum as well as Investec. Zebras are featured on the coat of arms of Botswana. Some on-field officials in various sports, especially American football, basketball, and ice hockey, may be nicknamed "zebras" due to the resemblance of their uniforms (which feature alternating black and white stripes) to the animal's markings. BiofuelRecent research has shown that TU-103, a strain of Clostridium bacteria found in zebra feces, can convert nearly any form of cellulose into butanol fuel.[32] See also
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South Africa|volume=44|pages= 351–358|url=http://tabanidae.lifedesks.org/node/1486}} 20. ^{{cite journal | url=http://jeb.biologists.org/content/215/5/736.full | title=Polarotactic tabanids find striped patterns with brightness and/or polarization modulation least attractive: an advantage of zebra stripes | author=Egri, Ádám | author2=Miklós Blahó | author3=György Kriska | author4=Róbert Farkas | author5=Mónika Gyurkovszky | author6=Susanne Åkesson | author6-link=Susanne Åkesson | author7=Gábor Horváth | last-author-amp=yes | journal= The Journal of Experimental Biology|date=March 2012 | volume=215 | pages=736–745 | doi=10.1242/jeb.065540 | issue=5|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120422011157/http://jeb.biologists.org/content/215/5/736.full|archivedate= 2012-04-22|deadurl= no | pmid=22323196}} 21. ^{{cite journal|title=How the Zebra Got Its Stripes|journal= J Exp Biol |volume=215|pages= iii|author=Knight, Kathryn|doi=10.1242/jeb.070680|year=2012|issue=5 }} 22. ^{{cite web|title=Scientists may have just discovered why zebras have stripes by putting them on horses|date=21 Feb 2019|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-may-have-just-discovered-why-zebras-have-stripes-by-putting-them-on-horse|website=MSN}} 23. ^{{cite web|title=Benefits of zebra stripes: Behaviour of tabanid flies around zebras and horses|date=20 Feb 2019|url=https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0210831}} 24. ^{{cite web | last=Dell'Amore | first=Christine | title=Why Do Zebras Have Stripes? New Study Makes Temperature Connection | website= National Geographic| date= 2015-01-14| url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150113-zebras-stripes-evolution-animals-science-africa/|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150129084407/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150113-zebras-stripes-evolution-animals-science-africa/|archivedate= 2015-01-29|deadurl= no|accessdate= 2015-01-16}} 25. ^{{cite web|url=http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/grevy_zebra/grevy_zebra.html |title= Grevy's Zebra, Equus grevyi|year= 2010|publisher= San Diego Zoo|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20141020113700/http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/grevy_zebra/grevy_zebra.html|archivedate= 2014-10-20|deadurl= no|accessdate=2013-08-24}} 26. ^Hayes, Capt. Horace (1893), [https://archive.org/details/pointsofhorsefam00hayerich Points of the Horse], pp. 311–316, London: W. Thacker 27. ^{{Cite journal|author=Young, T.P.|title=Competition and compensation among cattle, zebras, and elephants in a semi-arid savanna in Laikipia, Kenya|journal=Biological Conservation |year=2005 |volume=121 |pages=351–359|doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2004.08.007|issue=2|url=http://gepv.univ-lille1.fr/downloads/enseignements/M1-S7/B16-Analyse%20d%27articles/Young%20et%20al.,%202005,%20Biol%20Conservation.pdf|display-authors=etal}} 28. ^{{cite web|url= http://www.gateway-africa.com/stories/How_the_Zebra_Got_his_Stripes_San.html|title= How the Zebra got its stripes. Fables and animal stories by Chrigi-in-Africa of the San Clan.|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20141031002442/http://www.gateway-africa.com/stories/How_the_Zebra_Got_his_Stripes_San.html|archivedate= 2014-10-31|deadurl= no|accessdate=2008-10-10|publisher=Gateway Africa}} 29. ^{{cite web |url= http://www.filmsite.org/fant.html|title= Fantasia (1940)|first= Tim|last= Dirks|date= n.d.|publisher= Filmsite.org|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140823181529/http://www.filmsite.org/fant.html|archivedate= 2014-08-23|deadurl= no}} 30. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.natureartists.com/zebras.asp|title=Zebra Art|publisher=Artists for Conservation|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20141020203417/http://www.natureartists.com/zebras.asp|archivedate= 2014-10-20|deadurl= no|accessdate=2008-10-10}} 31. ^Cohen, M.J.; Major, John and Schama, Simon (2004) [https://books.google.com/books?id=jIxbmyMIsaYC&pg=PA146 History in Quotations:Reflecting 5000 Years of World History], Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., {{ISBN|0-304-35387-6}}. p. 146. 32. ^{{cite web |url=http://tulane.edu/news/releases/pr_082511.cfm |title=Cars Could Run on Recycled Newspaper, Tulane Scientists Say|first= Kathryn|last= Hobgood Ray |date= 2011-08-25|publisher= Tulane University|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20141021085626/http://tulane.edu/news/releases/pr_082511.cfm|archivedate= 2014-10-21|deadurl= no|accessdate= 2012-03-14}} Further reading
External links{{Commons}}{{EB1911 poster|Zebra}}
4 : Equus|Herbivorous mammals|Zebras|Mammal common names |
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