Groundbreaking research led by a leading horse genomics scientist in Ireland has resulted in the identification of the 'speed gene' in thoroughbred horses.
Some modern horses of Iberian origin are descendants from wild horses from the Early Iberian Neolithic, dated around 6,200 years ago. Ancient lineages are mainly represented in the Lusitano group C, constituted by some modern Lusitano and American horses.
Ancient DNA retrieved from extinct horse species from around the world has challenged one of the textbook examples of evolution -- the fossil record of the horse family Equidae over the past 55 million years.
The estimated 4.6 million Americans involved in the equine industry may be at risk of developing respiratory symptoms due to poor air quality in horse barns, according to a questionnaire study.
Scientists have decoded the genome of the domestic horse, revealing a genome structure with remarkable similarities to humans and more than one million genetic differences across a variety of horse breeds. In addition to shedding light on a key part of the mammalian branch of the evolutionary tree, the work also provides a critical starting point for mapping disease genes in horses.
