FEI.org - Full Article
26 April 2024
Patricia Salem
New research suggests a much deeper relationship between Native Americans and equines... Until recently, historians believed that horses in North America spread across the continent starting in the late 17th century, continuing for the next 100 years or so.
Horses Originated in North America
Scientists know that horses came from North America millions of years ago. Equus simplicidens — also known as the Hagerman horse, Hagerman zebra and American zebra — was the earliest Equus genus, found across what is today the United States. Similar to the modern-day horse in appearance, it eventually spread around the world.
Whilst Equus simplicidens evolved further to become the horse breeds we know now, it actually died out in North America. It became extinct along with most of the continent’s large mammals approximately 10,000 years ago, but the cause still remains a mystery...
Read the rest here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/lifestyle/horse-human/horses-spread-across-north-america-earlier-previously-thought
