Chia Seeds and Mathematics May Explain How the Zebra Gets Its Stripes

Chia seeds and mathematics may explain how the zebra gets its stripes. Computer science student Brendan D’Aquino and physics professor Flavio Fenton sprouted multiple pans of chia seeds to test a theory promulgated by mathematician Alan Turing over seventy years ago. Turing’s theory suggested that patterns we see in nature, such as zebra stripes or the ridges in cacti, appear as a result of a chemical reaction between two homogeneous substances.

D’Aquino and Fenton conducted experiments and presented their findings at the American Physical Society in 2023. They hope to publish a paper on the findings soon. The experiment consisted of evenly spread chia seeds over multiple trays lined with different growing substrates. They applied varying amounts of water and watering patterns. The researchers also created computer simulations using Turing’s model and then compared the simulations to the sprouted trays to note the similarities.

Natasha Ellison, a mathematical ecologist, says, “Scientists are only just finding specific chemicals inside biological systems that explain these patterns, and by varying the amount of chemicals in both laboratory settings and in the corresponding mathematics, we are able to show there is some truth to Turing’s theory.”

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