Horse Evolution
Horses have always been a large chunk of my life. I was five years old the first time I rode a horse and I have been fascinated with them ever since. My dad bought my first horse around age five. Having horses growing up helped myself to deal with my troubled childhood. They were my therapy. When I remained upset in regards matters I couldn’t understand or I didn’t have anyone to talk to my horses were there. I would leave and ride my Shetland pony, Snowball. She seemed to understand when I stayed sad and seemed to help myself feel safer. Humans have long enjoyed horses as companions. We utilize them on farms, to aid in carrying heavy loads, as a way of transportation and companionship. Horses have evolved over millions of years,
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from changes to environments, to adapting to local circumstances, and giving rise to most of today’s living species. Horses remain to be beautiful, majestic creatures they come in many colors, sizes, and breeds. Horses are one hoofed, herbivores, they eat only grass. Horses live in pastures, on farms, in stables and have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years. Horses play a role for a variety of events such as herding cattle, pulling carriages, horse racing, and riding in the Olympics. Miniature horses are worked in mines to pull carts, helping haul coal from the coal mines. Horses were first thought to be evolved in Central America from the Phenacodonts, an extended group of archaic hoofed mammals placed in the invalid taxon “Condylarthra.” (Prothero, 1999). Though in 1989, a fossil was uncovered in China that is nearly 57 million years old and were not related to the Phenacodonts. Instead of being evolved from Phenacodonts it is instead evolved from Perissodactyls that originated in Asia around 57 million years ago. This indicates that horses, elephants, manatees and their kin survive from a common ancestor, Radinskya. Perrisodactyls differentiated and migrated from Asia to Europe and North America 55 million years ago. Though the majority of the hoofed mammals became extinct the horse and rhinoceroses became nearly all the Perrisodactyls to live. Today, only five species of rhinoceros, four species of tapir and a few species of horses, zebras, and asses survived the last mass extinction which happened five million years ago. The earliest horses were little, dog-sized mammals that browsed mainly on undersized shrubs, though they appeared throughout the northern hemisphere, evolution of horse-like animals stayed mainly in central North America.
Five million years ago, one-toed, horse-like- grazers were the first in the form as Equus, today’s only living species. Evolution quickly shifted from the New World to the Old, where modern species of zebras and asses appeared. (Horses, Zebras, and Asses, 2009) In the early 20th century, paleontologies realized that the pattern in horse evolution was a further complex tree with a number of “side branches” a few lead to extinct species while others were closely related to the species Equus. (MacFadden, …show more content…
2005) The true horse is revealed to have been from Protorohippus also known as Hyracotherium, which was found in North America and the center of the evolution of the true horse. This particular horse stood the size of a terrier with four toes on their front feet. It lived approximately 55-50 million years ago. (Prothero, 1999) This particular horse didn’t have one hoof similar to modern day horses but separate toes. Fossils also show that they had low-crowned teeth, which enabled them to eat tender leaves from bushes rather than grasses of today’s horses. Though these were browsing horses majority of the other horses over time adapted and the browsing type horses died. As you can observe in the picture of the fossil of Hyracotheirum below that they were quite undersized and their bodies appeared comparable to dogs than horses aside from their heads. (Woodward, 2013) & http://www.britannica.com/animal/dawn-horse Horses evolved into much stronger and faster and had larger teeth, which allowed them to eat grass. They also had longer legs and fewer toes which allowed them to escape from their predators much easier. (Woodward, 2013) This made sense they needed to adapt to survive given the little dog-like horses with toes probably had a difficult time escaping their predators who were likely a great deal larger and faster. Cave paintings of horses have been discovered over the years, those who painted them is supposed to have been painted them lived from 18,000 to 10,000 BCE.
Horses during the Stone Age where mainly hunted for food. This existed around the last Ice Age. The images of the horses that they have drawn appear similarly to primitive wild horses we recognize today as Przewalski’s horse.
Therefore Przewalski’s horse, was first identified in 1881 by Russian explorer Colonel Nicolai Przewalski, in western Mongolia. It remained on the edge of extinction due to hunting by the local people. Przewalski’s horse has since been saved by captive breeding and it has been reintroduced to its native Asian steppes. It lives here now in its fully wild state, but is carefully protected, it is our last living link to its primitive ancestors. (Woodward, 2013) It is thought that the Przewalski horses have been living in the wild for at least 20,000 years.
In recent excavations in the Prošek Dome, that consisted of bone-rich Upper Pleistocene accumulation. Many Przewalksi horses and the wooly mammoth remains were found near hyena dens. Even though cave paintings depict these horses to have been around between 18,000 to 10,000 BCE. Research has shown them to have been around for a great deal longer. Pleistocene Epoch in the Quaternary Period, in the Cenozoic Era our book shows to have been 0.01-1.8 millions of years ago followed by a Significant Mammalian Extinction before the Holocene Epoch takes
place. http://m.harunyahya.com/tr/Books/8063/Confessions-Of-The-Evolutionists/chapter/4562/Chapter-14-Evolutionists-Confessions-Regarding-the-Invalidity-of-the-Horse-Series & http://horsehints.org/HorseFootEvolution.htm Pleistocene mammal extinction is a suitable example of selective. (Raup, 1991) Since we use carbon-14 dating (radioactive isotope in organic matter), we have an improved accurate chronology than for long-standing extinctions. Interesting patterns in time and space happen during this extinction. These extinctions showed that horses interacted with mammoths, mastodons, and scimitar cats, also known as sabretooths and the giant ground sloths that we notice in the movie “Ice Age”. Though I’ve watched this one several times, I’ve noticed these animals aside from the Przewalski horse. Furthermore, the Przewalski horse, wild horses live all over the world they live in herds moving from place to place searching for grasslands, they stay together to protect their herd. The herd is led by a Stallion, however, when there is a young stallion amongst their herd once mature enough, he is kicked out of the herd to start his own. Usually meeting up with other young stallions until they find their own mares. Though these wild horses aren’t as plentiful as they once were, their grazing lands are being seized by farmers, and government. Wild horses are also being adopted, sold and worse killed for slaughter. There are many activist groups today who are working fast to aid the wild horses. Wild horses and domesticated horses have learned to adapt to their environment over the years. Humans have been found to have benefited from horses, and within 1,500 years ago, they were being harnessed to the chariots. (Woodward, 2013) They were found buried near the chariot wheels, which indicates that they were handled for pulling chariots. Horses were being ridden into battle by warriors during the Bronze Age. Assyrian carvings have also been found showing riders on horseback as early as the 8th century BCE. Which is the earliest solid proof of riding that began roughly 200 years earlier than previous research. Horses over the years have believed to be many shapes and form. There are mythical creatures such as unicorns, the Winged Pegasus and the Devil horse. These are my favorite mythical creatures. In the 80’s there were a bunch of cartoons and movies concerning such creatures. The unicorn is shown in many fairy tales as being a white horse with a single horn and having magical powers. The Winged Pegasus is famous in Greek mythology and is viewed in many other mythological tales. The Devil horse is not one I had heard before now. It seems that it would bring its victim underwater to drown it. (Woodward, 2013) Horses in certain cultures are thought to have magic powers. In Ancient Norse Mythology, the Norse god, Odin rode an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir, whom bore his rider to heaven and to the land of the dead. In Hindu mythology there is a magical seven headed flying horse, Uchchaihshravas, who is the king of horses born from the cosmic ocean. (Woodward, 2013) Generally horses are extremely sociable. At least mine were. My mare that I barrel raced in high school would follow myself around similar to a puppy dog. Although she loved the attention she didn’t love it that much. She hated taking pictures, she would stare until I pointed the camera her way. Horses have always been a passion of mine. Even as an adult we don’t have horses since we live in the city. I am passing that along with my children in hopes that one day we will have horses of our own and live out in the country.
Not only are giraffes the tallest animals in the world, they are also one of the most recognizable. Their characteristic long necks quickly captivate any audience. That being said, it is not commonly known that there are thought to be nine subspecies of Giraffa camelopardalis. In fact, there is increasing evidence that these could potentially be separate species in their own right. This paper will discuss where giraffes fit in the Tree of Life and identify the giraffe’s closest relatives, differentiate and analyze the similarities and differences between the nine subspecies, and, finally, explore any debate revolving around the phylogeny of the subspecies.
The first horses were forced to hang in slings under the deck of ships all the way across the sea to the New World. The explorers brought only the toughest and best horses to the New World. They were bringing so many horses that soon the Spanish Government restricted how many horses could be brought to the New World. There were already enough horses in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Santa Domings to start breeding farms. Soon after the farms were established, they started on the main land, and that is where the mustangs got their start.
...bject of divination. The horse to the Germans is the most trusted species of augury and at public expense they have white horses kept in sacred groves for the taking of auspices which is conducted by noting the horse's various snorts and neighs.
In prehistoric America horse remains have been found that show they covered our great plains and were evolved to be able to eat the harsh vegetation of the area. The evidence of horses go back 54 million years. Without reason it seems this creature vanished from the area and not to be seen or have signs for the last ten thousand years. There are many theories as to what happened to them. One of the theories is that the horse died out due to disease. Another
The underlying issue of wild horses is the overpopulation of a particular species, which is contributing a serious ecological disaster, overgrazing. The degradation of the land has a domino effect, which will lead to more issues. It is important to maintain a balance between the need of the species, and what is healthy or the environment. The issue created controversy, is central to the passing of laws, and creates an opportunity for the government and the community to work together. There are many way to solve the issue of the wild horses and the issue that are created due to their existence. Issues such as a reduction in the number of the horses removed from the range. Increased use of birth control, a partnership with the Humane Society,
As the ancient civilizations of the west grew their empires, they encountered something so powerful, beastly, and strong that no man could hold down with his own two bare hands, nor could they be tamed. As centuries go on, men learned the ways of the horse and learned to ride upon their backs. They found them to be a key component in transportation, carrying goods, and warfare. As time went on, for every footprint of a human left behind in the wet mud, there was a hoof print not far from the footprint. Ancient Greeks believed that the horse was a gift from the gods, and they were greatly valued in their society.
From around the time during the Lower Paleolithic Era, which was about 1.8 million years ago, into the Upper Paleolithic Era, or 20,000 years ago, Europe was sparsely populated by Homo Erectus and Homo Neanderthalensis. The ancient ancestors of modern humans. They were a hunter-gather types of people that were eventually replaced by Homo Sapiens Sapiens, modern humans.
In 2000, Dr. Philip D. Gingerich, a paleontologist from the University of Michigan, and his associates discovered two primitive whale fossils in the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. By dating the limestone located in the Habib Rahi Formation of the Balochistan Province, Gingerich estimated these fossils to be about 47 million years old. According to author David Braun of National Geographic News, “The researchers have classified one, Rodhocetus balochistanensis, as a new species of an existing genus, and the other, Artiocetus clavis, as a new species and new genus” (Braun, 5). The discovery of these two fossils suggests that the closest living relative of these primitive whales could possibly be the modern day hippopotamus. This suggested relationship is based on similarities in the bone structure between the two animals.
domestic horses (equus caballus). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106(3), 947-951. doi:10.1073/pnas.0809127105
Domestication of the common horse is believed to have started around 4000 BC, becoming common during the early 3000 BC (Wilson,. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore).
Some people think of them as animals. Some people think of them as objects. Some people think of them as friends. Then there are the few who think of them as family. Horses have always been like family to humans, except sometimes closer. There are many benefits to owning or being around horses. They come in many different colors. There is a multitude of breeds, also. Additionally, they have a long history with humans. Horses have unique behaviors. Showing horses has been the past-time or even career of many people. Furthermore, caring for horses can be a handful, but is definitely rewarding. Finally, riding horses is not just a hobby or a sport, but an action of your heart. Horses are wondrous creatures that have lived with man or thousands of years.
Analysis of a poem - Horses by Edwin Muir It is said that one should Forget the past and live in the present It is said that one should forget the past and live in the present. However, Edwin Muir’s ‘Horses’ is a poem of past memories. The The interesting part is that it deals with many conflicts and issues which are prevalent even today. It is thus a bridge between the past and present and expressed in the form of a piece of literature. Muir himself said that in writing about horses in this poem, he was reflecting his childhood view of his father’s plough horses, which must have seemed huge, powerful and mysterious to a boy of four.
Throughout history, an important feature of any culture is the people's relationship to animals. Whether it be the thousands of cat mummies from the ancient Egyptians or the sacrifices from Greek temples, animals play an integral part in interpreting a culture and the mindsets of its citizens. Often these animals were more than just staples of domestic life, but also served as sacred creatures that connected humans to the spiritual world. When it comes to the Vikings, several species played important roles in day-to-day life, but none more so than the horse. Sure, they were used as transportation and played a key part in battle, but they were more than just a means to an end, much like the ancient Celtic peoples several centuries before.
Horseback riding can be traced back more than 15,000 years. The Romans used horses for chariot racing during Medieval Times. Jousting was another sport used during the Medieval Times. Thus consisted of horses running face to face and the riders, with swords, fighting to the riders death. Equines were used for transportation as well as part of war and agriculture. Indians used horses for transportation more than 3,000 years ago. Farmers used horses to plow fields for crops, before the invention of tractors and plows. Equines were used for many forms of transportation, such as delivering mail and hauling wagons for moving families. Arabians (the breed) were used for endurance, in the desert, because of the horses high stamina and excessive strength with lack of water. Draft horses were used for farming and and plowing. Because of their size, they can haul and pull more weight than an ordinary horse ("The Use of Horses," n.d.).
It is also another name for the Incubus. However, the horse is not without its roots in Germanic folklore. It is often associated with the German folklore of witches and hags[]. In these tales supernatural beings (either horse or hag) were believed to visit and posses men who slumbered alone at night. They would then use the man to rape women[].