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Longitudinal striping is explored as a potential predator defense in rodents, implying new insights into their coloration.
Why do some rodents exhibit longitudinal dorsal stripes rather than the much more common monochromatic pelage coloration? Caro et. al (2026) investigated this question by matching pelage patterning with socioecological variables placed on a phylogenetic tree. Their findings hint at striping being a form of predator defense that works particularly well against aerial predators, but no evidence was found for a communicative function.
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Henry Ayers (2026) studied this question.
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