Once again, a panicked herd could have produced a poor trampled wildebeest for our ancestors to scavenge upon. The third possible migrating food source was the zebra. There are three species of zebras, all of which, appear horse-like in appearance, with diagonal black stripes on a white body covering some species. In our study of possible food sources for our ancestral migration, we are most interested in Burchell's zebra, Equus quagga , found over much of eastern and southern Africa. They stand about 47 to 55 inches at the shoulder.
All zebras live in small family groups consisting of the male, several females and their children.
They sometimes mix with other animal groups, such as wildebeests and antelopes, which help in the protection of the family unit. This is a swift animal, and may not qualify as a possible food source expect later in our ancestors' development, when they developed hunting skills, but due to the zebra's migratory patterns near eastern Africa, it is possible. The last possible migrating food source that our ancestors may have followed and preyed upon are the African and Indian elephant. The African elephant, Loxodonta africana , is the largest land animal on the planet, weighing upwards to eight tons and standing 10 to 13 feet at the shoulders. It varies in color from brown to gray and its body hair is sparse, but coarse.