The origin and domestication history of domestic horses and the domestication characteristics of breeds.
- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
This research discusses the domestication history of horses, indicating how they were tamed much later than other animals like dogs and cattle, yet they made a significant impact on human civilization. The paper provides findings on genetic diversity, domestication characteristics, and genetic resources useful for future studies and breeding improvements.
Origin and Domestication History of Horses
The study provides an overview of the domestication history of horses (Equus caballus), indicating that horses were tamed after several other animals including dogs, cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. However, despite their late domestication, the horse’s ability to carry loads and mobility played a pivotal role in transforming human civilization from a fixed farming to a mobile sharing mode. The extinction of their wild counterparts and the significant reduction in their genetic diversity brought about by modern breeding resulted in several controversies regarding their domestication history.
- The research includes recent progress on the domestication history of horses through the study of nuclear genes, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome, and ancient DNA.
Population Structure and Diversification Among Breeds
The review also focuses on the population structure and diversification among modern horse breeds.
- It discusses the breeding conditions and evolution traits of modern horse species.
Genetic Basis of Important Phenotypes
The research additionally delves into the genetic basis of crucial phenotypes such as coat color, speed, and body size in horses.
- Knowledge about the genetic basis of these phenotypes is essential as it offers references for future studies, breeding improvement, and development of the horse industry.
Preservation and Utilization of Genetic Resources
The article aims to offer insights useful in the preservation and utilization of genetic resources, breeding improvement, and the development of the horse industry in the future.
- Bringing focus on domestication research, the safeguarding and development of genetic resources, breeding optimization, and modern horse industry development.
In summary, the review offers a comprehensive insight into the study of horse domestication, thereby providing a foundation for future research and developments in the horse industry.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Domestic / genetics
- Breeding
- DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
- Domestication
- Horses / genetics
- Phylogeny
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Capomaccio S, Ablondi M, Colombi D, Sartori C, Giontella A, Cappelli K, Mancin E, Asti V, Mantovani R, Sabbioni A, Silvestrelli M. Exploring the Italian equine gene pool via high-throughput genotyping.. Front Genet 2023;14:1099896.