There’s a moment that often happens while out on a game drive. As the sun rises, it casts a warm light over the grasslands, and a dazzle of zebra heads high, ears flicking, stands in perfect symmetry, their black and white stripes rippling with each muscle twitch. Guests reach for their cameras. The question inevitably follows:

Why do zebras have stripes?

But recently, for me, a deeper curiosity often surfaces: Where did these animals come from? What story does their evolution tell us? How alike, or not, are they to horses?

Today, I want to take you on a different kind of safari, back in time, into the evolutionary history of the plains zebra, and how this striking animal came to grace the savannas of Africa.

A Family Rooted in the Horse Lineage

To understand zebras, we need to go back a long way. Around 55 million years ago, an animal called Hyracotherium (formerly known as Eohippus), about the size of a fox, browsed in dense forests for fruit and leaves. This small, multi-toed ancestor is considered the earliest known member of the horse family, Equidae.

Over millions of years, as forests gave way to grasslands, these early equids evolved longer limbs, a single dominant toe (what we now recognise as the hoof), and specialised teeth for grazing. Some of these evolutionary lines led to the modern horse (Equus ferus), while others gave rise to Africa’s striped icons, the zebras.

Evolution of Equus. Source (https://darwiniana.org/horses.htm)

Zebra vs Horse: Who Came First?

One of the questions I’m often asked is whether horses or zebras evolved first. Technically, they both belong to the same genus, Equus, which emerged roughly 4 to 4.5 million years ago. But zebras are not the ancestors of horses, nor vice versa. Instead, they branched off from a common ancestor and evolved in tandem.

Evolution of Zebra vs. Horse. Source (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quora.com%2FOf-horses-zebras-and-donkeys-which-has-changed-the-least-from-their-common-ancestor-and-which-has-changed-the-most&psig=AOvVaw0fRpDStR4qn5lmiNue4XXL&ust=1752655208648000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBUQjRxqFwoTCLCyvMu7vo4DFQAAAAAdAAAAABAZ)

Genetic studies suggest that zebras diverged from other equines around 2 to 4 million years ago, with the plains zebra (Equus burchellii) being the most recent evolutionary development in the zebra lineage, which branched off of the E. quagga line.

Interestingly, while horses were eventually domesticated by humans around 5,500 years ago, zebras were not,  largely due to their unpredictable temperaments and strong flight instincts. Evolutionarily speaking, they may look similar, but their social structures, digestive systems, and survival strategies have been shaped by entirely different pressures.

The Evolution of Stripes

One of evolution’s greatest mysteries is the zebra’s distinctive stripe pattern. There are multiple theories. Some suggest the stripes confuse predators; others propose they regulate body temperature or repel biting flies. What we do know is that striping is a relatively recent evolutionary trait, and it’s been refined differently across zebra species depending on their habitat.

In open grasslands where the plains zebra thrives, bold, wide stripes are the norm, possibly helping disrupt their outline in herds. In more arid regions, like those inhabited by the mountain zebra, the pattern becomes narrower and more vertical. Evolution has taken a single ancestral design and adapted it in beautiful, functional ways.

Meet the Subspecies: Six Shades of the Plains Zebra

While the plains zebra is the most widespread zebra species in Africa, it’s not a uniform population. Scientists recognise six distinct subspecies, each with slightly different markings and regional ranges:

Burchell’s/Plains Zebra (Equus quagga burchellii)

• The most common, and the one we see here at Londolozi.

• Found in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

• Stripes may fade on the hindquarters, and “shadow stripes” often appear between the main ones.

Grant’s Zebra (Equus quagga boehmi)

• Northernmost subspecies, ranging from South Sudan to northern Tanzania.

• Has clear, well-defined stripes that extend down to the hooves.

Chapman’s Zebra (Equus quagga chapmani)

• Found in eastern Zambia, Mozambique, and northern South Africa.

• Known for faded stripes and frequent brown “shadow stripes.”

Crawshay’s Zebra (Equus quagga crawshayi)

• Inhabits parts of eastern Zambia, Malawi, and northern Mozambique.

• Displays very narrow, closely spaced black stripes with no shadow stripes.

Selous’ Zebra (Equus quagga selousi)

• Rarely seen and often debated among researchers.

• Possibly a regional variation of Chapman’s zebra found in southeastern Africa.

Quagga (Equus quagga quagga) – Extinct

• Once roamed the Western Cape of South Africa.

• Had stripes only on the front of the body, with a brown, unstriped rear.

• Went extinct in the late 1800s, but selective breeding through the Quagga Project is attempting to revive its appearance using Burchell’s zebras.

Subspecies of Zebra. Source: (https://www.facebook.com/61555526537201/posts/a-map-of-africa-showing-the-distribution-of-different-zebra-subspecies-including/122227664312184217/)

Built for Africa

What makes the plains zebra so successful? Evolution has tailored them to African life. Their social structures are incredibly strong, with harems maintaining tight bonds. Their digestive systems are designed to extract nutrients from lower-quality grasses, allowing them to thrive where others might struggle. Their keen senses, particularly hearing and eyesight, make them vigilant sentinels of the savanna.

And of course, those stripes. Whether for camouflage, thermoregulation, or social bonding, they remain one of nature’s most iconic patterns, a wonderful example of how nature crafts beauty and function together.

Two young stallions take a break from sparring just long enough for me to take this photo. You can’t go wrong with turning a zebra photo into black and white.

As a guide, I often find that the more you learn about an animal, the more appreciation you have for the miracle of its presence. The plains zebra, with its complex ancestry, evolving adaptations, and harmonious place in the African ecosystem, is far more than just a photogenic grazer.

Next time you see a zebra, hopefully here at Londolozi, take a moment to look beyond the stripes. You’re looking at the product of millions of years of survival, migration, adaptation… and unparalleled beauty in motion.