Zebra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search
For other uses, see Zebra (disambiguation).

Zebra

Temporal range: Pliocene to recent

A herd of plains zebra (Equus quagga)

in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Perissodactyla
 Family: Equidae

Genus: Equus

Subgenus: Hippotigris

Species

†E. capensis
E. grevyi
†E. koobiforensis
†E. mauritanicus
†E. oldowayensis
E. quagga
E. zebra

Range of the three living zebra species

Zebras[a] are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are

three extant species; the Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi), plains zebra (E. quagga)
and mountain zebra (E. zebra). Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each
individual. Several theories have been proposed for the function of zebra stripes with
most evidence supporting them as a form of protection from biting flies. Zebras share
the genus Equus with horses and asses and together they are the only living members
of the family Equidae. Zebras belong to the subgenus Hippotigris. They
inhabit eastern and southern Africa and can be found in a variety of habitats such
as savannahs, grasslands, woodlands, shrublands and mountainous areas.
 Zebras are primarily grazers and can subsist on lower-quality vegetation. They are
mainly preyed on by lions and typically flee when threatened but also bite and kick.
Zebra species differ in social behaviour; with plains and mountain zebra living in
stable harems, consisting of an adult male or stallion, several adult females or mares,
and their young or foals, while Grévy's zebra live solitarily or in loosely associated
herds. In harem-holding species, adult females mate only with their harem stallion, while
male Grévy's zebras establish territories which attract females and the species
is promiscuous. Zebras communicate with various vocalisations, body postures and
facial expressions. Social grooming strengthens social bonds in plains and mountain
zebras.
The bold stripes of zebras make them among the most recognisable of mammals and
have been featured in art and stories in Africa and beyond. They have historically been
highly sought after for exotic animal collectors but unlike horses and donkeys, zebras
have never been truly domesticated. the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) lists the Grévy's zebra as endangered, the mountain zebra
as vulnerable and the plains zebra as near-threatened. The quagga, a type of plains
zebra, was driven to extinction in the 19th century. Nevertheless, zebras can be found
in numerous protected areas.

Contents

 1Etymology
 2Taxonomy and evolution
o 2.1Extant species
o 2.2Fossil record
o 2.3Hybridisation
 3Characteristics
o 3.1Stripes
 4Life history
o 4.1Social structure
o 4.2Communication
o 4.3Reproduction and parenting
 5Human relations
o 5.1Cultural significance
o 5.2Captivity
o 5.3Conservation
 6See also
 7Notes
 8References
o 8.1Biblography
 9External links

Etymology
The name "zebra" in English dates back to c. 1600, from Italian zebra, perhaps
from Portuguese.[2] 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 American English. [5] A group of zebras is referred
to as a herd, dazzle, or zeal.[6]

Taxonomy and evolution

Further information: Evolution of the horse
Zebras are classified in the genus Equus along with horses and asses, they are the only
living members of the family Equidae.[7] The plains zebra and mountain zebra were
traditionally placed in the subgenus Hippotigris in contrast to the Grévy's zebra which
was considered the sole species of subgenus Dolichohippus.[8] However, recent
(2013) phylogenetic evidence finds that plains zebras are more closely related to
Grévy's zebras than mountain zebras.[9] Groves and Bell (2004) place all three species
in the subgenus Hippotigris.[10] The extinct quagga was originally classified as a distinct
species.[11] Later genetic studies have placed it as the same species as the plains zebra,
either a subspecies or just the southernmost population. [12][13] Molecular evidence
supports zebras as a monophyletic lineage.[9][14][15]
Equus originated in North America and direct paleogenomic sequencing of a 700,000-
year-old middle Pleistocene horse metapodial bone from Canada implies a date of 4.07
million years ago (mya) for the most recent common ancestor of the equines within the
range of 4.0 to 4.5 mya.[16] Horses split from asses and zebras around 4 mya, and
equines entered Eurasia around 3 mya. Zebras and asses diverged from each other
close to 2.8 Mya and zebra ancestors entered Africa around 2.3 mya. The mountain
zebra diverged from the other species around 1.75 mya and the plains and Grévy's
zebra split around 1.5 mya.[9][17][18]