How did nature know that lions are colour-blind and can't see zebras running?

Answer 1

God. God Created Evolution.

Answer 2

I don't mean to be a smarty-pants, but......

The black and white stripes of zebras have nothing to do with "color-blindness"

This is a natural example of what is called "disruptive", or "dazzle" camouflage. This kind of coloring scheme is also found in some kinds of fish and insects, animals that move in groups.

Individually, a brilliant black and white zebra stands out like a sore thumb. But as a herd, the bright contrasting stripes confuse the mechanisms that the brain uses to recognize individual shapes, depth, and motion (but not color..). Just take a look at this picture, see how tricky it is to spot the individual zebras, never mind if they are weaving and dodging at 35mph:
http://www.artwolfe.com/store/product_graphics_new/gp1006l.jpg
Looking at a running herd of zebras through binoculars is positively dizzying.........

Thus the stripes are intended to confuse and distract potential predators from zeroing in on a single target. (In fact, Lions are not known to be color blind, at least not in the clinical sense. Their vision is probably as good as, or better than that of humans.)

Of course, Nature doesn't *know* this....nature doesn't *know* anything! Genes do not have brains, they're stupid. But apparently, zebras that have stripes are more likely to survive, and zebras that don't are likely to end up dead meat. So eventually all the unstriped zebras end up dead, that's really all there is to it.

Hope that makes sense,
~W.O.M.B.A.T.

Answer 3

Lions Colour

Answer 4

Lions can see the zebras running, they are just very hard to single out.

The zebras probably started out black and white, but not striped as they are now.

The stripes blend together and make them harder to single out when running in a herd survived. The ones who were hardest to single out survived longer to produce more offspring.

Their offspring then had markings like the parents and the lions had to work harder to pick out their prey.

It's called natural selection. Don't confuse this with evolution, they are not the same thing.

Check out this link about the peppered moth. It's an historic example of natural selection.

Answer 5

Lions aren't color blind. They have more rods and cones in their eyes than we do. Zebras' stripes cause the lions hunting them to be confused when trying to pick out a specific individual since the striping breaks up their shape. That's also the reason why tigers have stripes. It helps them blend into high grass and trees, but also breaks up their shape when prey is looking at them directly.

Answer 6

Lions

Answer 7

To each their own.. Lions have other back-up resources for hunting like hunting in packs and having good strategy, zebras have useful "camofluage" so that when they are running, it's more confusing to the lions because of their similiar stripes

Answer 8

Zebras that lions can't see well survive.
They then have little zebras which probably are also hard for the lions to see.

Answer 9

Evolution theory says:

The Zebras probably originally had all sorts of colors...

The Lions could easilly see the ones that were not black and white striped so thos got eaten.

The black and white striped ones weren't dead so they bread and... you have a resulting species.

Nature didn't know the lions couldn't see the black and white zebras. The lions knew they COULD see the ones that WERE NOT striped.... and they had lunch.

************

Note... evolution does not necissarilly conflict with creation. (thats a whole different discussion)

If God exists... he ALLOWED science to be developed. Therefore religion should have nothing to fear from science.

Answer 10

They can still see them run. Haven't you ever watched national geographic. Its not like the zebra's like "okay dude i'm gonna lay down now so you can eat me." The lion always has to chase after it.

Answer 11

They are color-blind, but the still see zebras running. Why? Their eyes are more in tuned to motion.