INITIALIZATION
Knowledgebase: ki-dev
Base Query:  why do zebras have stripes?
Model: gpt-4-1106-preview
Use Curl?: None
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QUESTIONING
Clarity Score: 10
Give follow-up?: False
Follow-up query: 
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ROUTING
Query type: research
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RAG PARAMETERS
Max Context To Include: 20
Lowest Score to Consider: 0.7
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VECTOR SEARCH ALGORITHM TO USE 
Use MMR search?: False
Use Similarity search?: True
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FILENAMES AND KEYWORDS 
Keywords Found: []
All file names: ['', '', '', '', '', '', '', '']
File names to FILTER: []
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PRIMER 
Primer: 
            You are a highly intelligent personal assistant. Your role is to act as an expert
            at reading the information provided by the user and giving the most relevant information.

            In your responses to enterprise users, prioritize clarity, trustworthiness, and appropriate formality.

            Be honest by admitting when a topic falls outside your scope of knowledge, and suggest
            alternative avenues for obtaining information when necessary.

            Make effective use of chat history to avoid redundancy and enhance response relevance, continuously
            adapting to integrate all necessary details in your interactions.

            Focus on precision and accuracy of your answers information.
        
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FINAL QUERY 
Final Query: CONTEXT: 

"""QUERY:  why do zebras have stripes?"""

Consider the chat history for relevant information.
Final Files Sources: 
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FINAL ANSWER 
Answer: The stripes of zebras have been a subject of scientific study and debate for many years, and several theories have been proposed to explain their function. Here are some of the prevailing hypotheses:

1. **Camouflage**: One of the earliest theories is that the stripes help zebras blend into their grassy environment to hide from predators. When zebras stand together, it is believed that their stripes can confuse predators by making it difficult to single out one zebra.

2. **Deter biting flies**: More recent studies suggest that the stripes may deter biting flies, such as tsetse flies and horseflies, which are common in zebra habitats. These flies are less likely to land on striped surfaces due to the way the stripes reflect light, which disrupts their visual system.

3. **Social interaction**: Zebras may use their stripe patterns to recognize one another, as the pattern is unique to each individual, much like a human fingerprint.

4. **Thermoregulation**: It has also been suggested that the stripes may play a role in temperature regulation. The black stripes may absorb heat differently than the white areas, creating micro air currents along the skin that could help with cooling.

5. **Predator confusion during motion**: When zebras are running as a herd, the stripes may create a confusing optical illusion that makes it difficult for predators to track the movement of an individual zebra.

While these theories are not mutually exclusive and more than one could contribute to the evolutionary advantage of zebra stripes, the precise reasons for their development remain a topic of ongoing research and discussion in the scientific community. The deterrence of biting flies is currently one of the more widely accepted explanations, supported by experimental evidence.
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