The Ancestry of the Horse

Abstract The fifth chapter traces the ancestry of the horse, relating it to other Eurasian equids such as the ass, the onager, the kiang, and the hydruntines. A new etymology for zebra is also offered. Paleolithic cave paintings of horses show much the same coat colors and patterns seen in modern horses, and they are probably descended from wild horses of the Eurasian Epipaleolithic. The chapter also discusses preconditions for domestication in various plants and animals. Equine herds in the wild show many of these requirements for domestication, and some populations exhibit signs of domestication such as a flowing mane, a more gracile third metacarpal (cannon bone), and an increase in size. Modern populations also show unique genetic profiles.