Tim Caro is professor of wildlife biology at the University of California, Davis. He is also the author of Cheetahs of the Serengeti Plains: Group Living in an Asocial Species and Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals, both published by the University of Chicago Press, as well as Conservation by Proxy: Indicator, Umbrella, Keystone, Flagship, and Other Surrogate Species.
"Zebra Stripes is an attempt to answer the mysterious,
longstanding, and popular question of why zebra have stripes. A
personal journey in addition to a scientific appraisal of the
evidence, it is highly original in its discussion of stripe
hypotheses and its personal aspect; I am not aware of any work of
comparable synthesis in depth or scope. It is comprehensive,
up-to-date, and authoritative, and also contains a wealth of
unpublished work and observations. Well written in a very readable
style, interesting, and clear, Zebra Stripes will unquestionably be
of importance to any specialist in the field and of much interest
to biologists more broadly, especially those interested in animal
coloration, behavior, and evolution. Highly successful."--Martin
Stevens, University of Exeter, author of "Cheats and Deceits: How
Animals and Plants Exploit and Mislead"
"A tour de force that characterizes the biology, morphology,
physiology, and behavior of the equid genus as a starting point for
examining in detail the unique features of its striped members.
Caro clearly and succinctly presents the competing hypotheses put
forward over the last one-hundred-fifty years (some even earlier)
for why zebras are striped. The mix of methods with facts and
interpretation is compelling, making what could be a complex and
tedious presentation one that is clear, engaging, and to the point.
Zebra Stripes is an easy read, full of authoritative documentation
from the literature bolstered by clever experiments (with Caro
putting himself literally in a zebra's shoes--or actually a pelt),
and constructed in a didactic, hypothetical, deductive way that
gives it credibility. Its completeness and attention to detail will
make it a must read."--Daniel I. Rubenstein, Princeton
University
"Caro's study exemplifies how one should conduct such an
investigation. . . . This is an exemplary study. This is how
science should be done: patient, systematic, careful and
comprehensive. Charles Darwin referred to his work On the Origin of
Species as 'one long argument' for evolution by natural selection.
Caro's Zebra Stripes is one long argument also--for this is in
essence a 300-page scientific paper--and as such makes a fine
academic behavioral ecology monograph."--Tim Birkhead, University
of Sheffield "Times Higher Education"
"In an era of big data, it might be considered quaint to spend over
a decade studying a Victorian question, one that has been debated
by Wallace, Darwin, and a cast of others: namely, the function of
stripes on animals. And, indeed, why zebras, uniquely among equids
(horses, zebras, and wild asses), have stripes. However, Caro's
book Zebra Stripes is a testament to the power of comprehensive
scholarship, logic, creativity, self-criticism, persistence, and
passion, and shows that outstanding science can be done with
limited support."--Daniel T. Blumstein, University of California,
Los Angeles "Trends in Ecology & Evolution"
"The purpose of zebra stripes has perplexed science at least since
Charles Darwin debated the matter with fellow Victorian naturalist
Alfred Russel Wallace. Today, according to Caro, no fewer than four
groups of researchers study the question. They do not lack for
hypotheses: In Caro's new book, Zebra Stripes, he outlines nearly
twenty of them. . . . He decided to test each of these ideas one by
one, in the field, over a decade of summers. This was the
scientific method on repeat: Trial and error after trial and error.
And because studying large wild mammals is no easy task, Caro had
to get creative. Coming up with experiments was, he said, 'the
thing that taxed me most.' . . . Caro's [is a] systematic,
sometimes wacky quest, which he refers to as a 'personal
discovery.'"--Karin Brulliard "Washington Post"
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