Genetics. 2016 Oct;204(2):423-434.

The Evolutionary Origin and Genetic Makeup of Domestic Horses.

Librado P1, Fages A2, Gaunitz C1, Leonardi M1, Wagner S3, Khan N4, Hanghøj K2, Alquraishi SA5, Alfarhan AH5, Al-Rasheid KA5, Der Sarkissian C1, Schubert M1, Orlando L6.

Author information

• 1Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350K, Denmark.
• 2Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350K, Denmark Laboratoire Anthropobiologie Moléculaire et d'Imagerie de Synthèse, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 5288, Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III), 31000 Toulouse, France.
• 3Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350K, Denmark Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés UMR1202, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, F-33610 Cestas, France Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés UMR1202, Université de Bordeaux, F-33170 Talence, France.
• 4Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350K, Denmark Department of Biotechnology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan.
• 5Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
• 6Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350K, Denmark Laboratoire Anthropobiologie Moléculaire et d'Imagerie de Synthèse, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 5288, Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III), 31000 Toulouse, France Lorlando@snm.ku.dk.

Abstract

The horse was domesticated only 5.5 KYA, thousands of years after dogs, cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. The horse nonetheless represents the domestic animal that most impacted human history; providing us with rapid transportation, which has considerably changed the speed and magnitude of the circulation of goods and people, as well as their cultures and diseases. By revolutionizing warfare and agriculture, horses also deeply influenced the politico-economic trajectory of human societies. Reciprocally, human activities have circled back on the recent evolution of the horse, by creating hundreds of domestic breeds through selective programs, while leading all wild populations to near extinction. Despite being tightly associated with humans, several aspects in the evolution of the domestic horse remain controversial. Here, we review recent advances in comparative genomics and paleogenomics that helped advance our understanding of the genetic foundation of domestic horses.