Scientific Research Confirms Native Ancestry of America's Wild Horses
New research from the University of California Santa Cruz's Paleogenomics Lab has provided compelling evidence that America's wild horses are indeed native to North America. This study challenges the long-held belief that these iconic animals are invasive species, a narrative often used to justify wild horse roundups.
The research, conducted by Drs. Alissa Vershinina and Beth Shapiro, traces the DNA of modern horses back to their ancient ancestors on the North American continent. By analyzing well-preserved horse remains from regions across the Bering Land Bridge, the study maps the evolutionary journey of horses from North America to Eurasia and back.
The findings reveal that horses were part of the North American fauna for hundreds of thousands of years before their extinction around eleven thousand years ago. The feral horses roaming the American West today are descendants of horses domesticated in Asia about 5500 years ago. However, these early domestic horses were part of a large, interconnected population that spanned much of the Northern Hemisphere.
“The fossil record and our genetic results confirm that horses were part of the North American fauna for hundreds of thousands of years prior to their (recent in evolutionary time) extinction on the continent around eleven thousand years ago. The feral horses that roam the American West are descended from horses that were domesticated in Asia around 5500 years ago. However, early domestic horses were part of a large and evolutionarily connected population of horses that spanned much of the Northern Hemisphere. The genetic connection between extinct North American and present-day domestic horses means that the feral horses in the American West share much of their DNA and evolutionary history with their ancestors who lived on the same continent many thousands of years earlier.”
American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) is proud to have supported this phase of groundbreaking research. This study reinforces our commitment to protecting wild horses as an integral part of the natural system of public lands, as declared in the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
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