For decades, biologists debated the evolutionary purpose of zebra stripes, with the leading hypothesis suggesting they serve as a camouflage mechanism against predators. However, recent computational models simulating lion vision have challenged this assumption, showing that stripes are highly visible in open savannas. In response, some researchers proposed an alternative theory: stripes create motion dazzle, disrupting a predator's ability to track moving targets. Yet, subsequent experiments using artificial targets failed to find a significant tracking disadvantage for striped objects. Consequently, attention has shifted to a third explanation, supported by physical modeling, which argues that the stripes generate micro-convection currents to cool the zebras' bodies.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
- AIt compares three competing explanations for a biological phenomenon and presents empirical evidence that conclusively proves one explanation is superior to the others.
- BIt details a series of experiments designed to test how predators detect prey, highlights the flaws in those experiments, and proposes a new methodology for future research.
- It outlines an initial hypothesis and explains why it was disputed, describes a second hypothesis and notes a study that failed to support it, and introduces a third hypothesis that has gained traction.Answer
- DIt argues that a long-held scientific consensus was correct, describes how subsequent research temporarily cast doubt on that consensus, and concludes by validating the original theory.