The article "How the Tiger Really Got His Stripes" from The New Yorker explores the mathematical and biological underpinnings of pattern formation in animals, particularly focusing on Turing patterns as proposed by mathematician Alan Turing. It delves into the research conducted by Ben Alessio and Ankur Gupta at the University of Colorado Boulder, who developed a sharper version of Turing patterns through a study of reaction-diffusion systems enhanced by diffusiophoresis, ultimately connecting their findings to the distinct hexagonal patterns on an ornate boxfish. Additionally, evolutionary biologist Ricardo Mallarino investigates the genetic basis of stripe formation in the African striped mouse, leveraging mathematical modeling and the CRISPR gene-editing technique to generate and test hypotheses surrounding the development of such patterns. The article concludes with a discussion of the various theories about the evolutionary significance of stripes in different species, illustrating the complexity and ongoing curiosity surrounding these biological phenomena.

Key Points:

• Turing patterns describe how homogeneity can develop into complex designs, such as tiger stripes.
• Ben Alessio and Ankur Gupta added a diffusiophoretic element to Turing’s reaction-diffusion model, resulting in sharper patterns.
• Their findings were inspired by the hexagonal patterns on the Australian ornate boxfish.
• Ricardo Mallarino researched stripe formation in African striped mice, discovering genetic controls that influence stripe patterns.
• The study used mathematical modeling to link genetic manipulations to physical outcomes, verifying the predicted pattern changes.
• Various hypotheses, such as camouflage and thermoregulation, exist to explain why stripes evolve in different species, but definitive reasons remain elusive.
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