Probably, many are interested in the question of how the horses originated. Is there any connection in these animals, for example, with zebras and what did the oldest ancestor look like?
Scientists believe that he lived 54 million years ago and became the founder of this type of mammal, like a zebra. Due to the fact that the period of the ancestor's residence was called the Eocene, the original name of the mammal was “eogippus”. Later it was renamed "hyracoterium."
After reading the article, you can learn about one of the oldest species of mammal. It will be described in more detail about Przhevalsky's horse.
What were the ancestors?
This animal was not like a horse. It had a small stature (about 30 cm in height), an arched back and a long tail. His lumpy teeth were not at all like the teeth of a modern horse. At the hyracoterium, the front legs had small hooves and four toes, and the hind legs were without hooves and with three toes. The habitats of the ancient mammal are the plains of East Asia, European woodlands and the moist forests of North America.
Subsequently, the eogippus became a descendant of hyracoterium (growth was less than 1.5 meters). During evolution, it moved to harder soils, with grass and shrubbery. The rapid running of the horse of modernity is the result of the ancestor's residence in a convenient and spacious area: plain, hilly, steppe. Eogippus was brown in color and the size of an average sheep. His face and mane were short, his tail was long, and his eyes were large.
Subsequently, his descendant was Anchiteria - an animal in size from about a small pony. Its color was sand, with slightly pronounced brown or gray stripes. That was about 25 million years ago. Anchitheries began to dwell in dry meadows, where they also ran fast and could travel long distances during the day in search of safe places and food.
The penultimate predecessor of modern horses is the pliogippus, who lived in North America about 2 million years ago. His jaws were already adapted for chewing on coarse grass. Legs with well-formed hooves have become longer, the body has become more slender and maneuverable.
The last horse - the hipparion - looks like a gazelle. She lived in Africa, Europe, North America and Asia. The abundance of this species was so huge that it fully explains the widespread availability of horses throughout the modern world. More than a million years ago, the last hipparion died.
Equus is the only modern genus of the horse family. This wild horse (as scientists call it) was a bit like a zebra, as it had pronounced stripes on its body and a short mane on its head. Tail - with a thicker hairline. Branches of the genus - the steppe and forest tarpans, extinct at the very beginning of the 20th century, and the Przhevalsky horse.
Varieties
Scientists-hippologists of all wild horses are divided into 3 main types - forest, steppe tarpan and Przhevalsky horse.
The main differences are related to their habitat and lifestyle. For example, in natural conditions, the habitat of the Przhevalsky horse is the vast territory of the steppes, forest-steppes and semi-desert regions of Europe and Kazakhstan, the territory of Russia and the southern regions of the Transbaikal Territory and Siberia.
About the discovery of N. M. Przhevalsky
The horse owes its name to its discoverer - the great Russian naturalist and traveler Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich.
The routes of his expeditions passed through the territory of the Asian part of Eurasia (Tibet), and their main goal was to study and describe the nature of the region. Scientists discovered wild horses in 1879. This was the third trip to Central Asia. The herd was discovered at the foot of the Tang La pass.
After the expedition, N. M. Przhevalsky (in 1881) made a detailed description of the animal science, which was unknown at that time. This species of wild animal was named after him, although this was not the only discovery of the great Russian scientist and zoologist.
Przewalski's horse: description
The ancestors of this animal were tarpans. Przewalski's horse has the status of an animal species that has disappeared from nature. Today it can be seen only in special reserves and wildlife reserves, as well as in zoos.
The body length of the horse is about 2 m, at the withers the height reaches 1.5 m, the maximum weight is 350 kg. This species is considered primitive, retaining the signs of both a donkey and a horse. The horse has a massive, dense physique, a large head and a powerful neck. Her legs are strong and short. Wide-set eyes are small, ears are small, but quite sensitive and mobile. The stiff and upright mane on the head is short, no bangs. The tail is very long. The color of most of the body is sandy brown, the belly and muzzle are lighter, and the legs, mane and tail are almost black. In summer, the coat is short, and in winter it is dense with warm undercoat.
A brief description of Przewalski’s horse is rather massive, strong and hardy.
Habitat
Once this horse was distributed in the territory of Mongolia, China and western Kazakhstan. Herds then moved along forest-steppes, steppes, vast semi-deserts and foothill plateaus. It was here that the animals got their food, water and found shelter, wandering from place to place.
The last natural habitat of the horse is the Dzungaria region (Central Asia), where several individuals were caught (the beginning of the 20th century), which gave rise to the population that was bred in captivity. This allowed us to preserve the appearance of a horse on the entire planet.
Currently, this horse lives in protected and protected areas in America, in Asia, in Europe, as well as in the area of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. According to zoologists, Przhevalsky’s horses today have already formed 3 full herds in the wild. In addition, these animals are kept in the largest reserves and zoos in the world.
Lifestyle & Diet
In short, Przhevalsky’s horse is not a domesticated, wild horse, largely preserving the character and habits of the animal living in wild conditions. She leads a herd lifestyle. An adult stallion, several females and foals represent a herd. There are also herds, consisting of single males, to which old males can join, no longer able to manage their own herd.
Herds are constantly forced to roam in search of food. In case of any danger, the herds can run a short distance at a gallop at a speed of about 50 km / h.
Mostly Przhevalsky’s horses graze in the morning or at dusk, and during the day they rest, sitting on a hill, from where a good view opens onto the surrounding countryside. Usually foals and mares doze, and the male inspects the area for danger.
Diet - a variety of herbs and grains: feather grass, wormwood, wild onions, etc. In winter, they tear up snow to get grass out from under it. Animals in captivity feed on native plants.
In cold or, conversely, hot climatic conditions, the herd horses gather in a tight circle, protecting themselves from temperature extremes.
About nature reserves
Przewalski's horses, as noted above, practically do not live in the wild. The main livestock of this animal is concentrated in reserves and sanctuaries, which are under the protection of the governments of those countries where they are available.
The Prague Zoo, Askania Nova Nature Reserve and many other conservation areas are responsible for keeping the pedigree book of this type of horse. In 1992, a program was launched in Mongolia and China in order to return these horses to their natural habitat. Captive young animals are released into the wild. To date, approximately 300 animals have been released under this program.
The final account of the number of existing Przhevalsky horses living in zoos around the world is maintained by the Prague Zoo. Today in captivity is approximately 2, 000 thousand individuals. In Russian reserves and reserves, several individuals also live. They are in China, Mongolia and other countries.
Protection and problems
This amazing, rare animal is listed not only in the Russian Red Book. Przewalski’s horse is also listed in the international book. This population was able not only to maintain, but also to grow thanks to the efforts of international reserves, zoos and other communities.
Difficulties in this work are the inevitable closely related crosses due to the fact that all the horses of this species are the descendants of 15 individuals caught at the beginning of the 20th century in Dzungaria. With all this, scientists believe that today this species has positive prospects, since it was possible to overcome the moment when the animals were on the verge of complete extinction.
