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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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…
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
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.
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,
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.
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.
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
...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.
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.
Although most horses today are domesticated, in certain countries there are endangered populations of wild horses, including the Przewalski’s horse, found in Central Asia (The Foundation for the Preservation and Protection of the Przewalski Horse, 2008).
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.
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[].
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.
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.).