Scientists Sequence World’s Last Wild Horses

Way back in the 1870s the world’s last truly wild horses were discovered living on the fields of the Asian Steppes. The world was infatuated with the free spirited herds however by the 1960s Przewalski's horses has become entirely extinct, at least in the wild. Humans had domesticated the animals and by the end of the decade they only survived in one captive population. The horses descended from a dozen wild ancestors, as well as a handful of domesticated animals.   

Today, just 2109 Przewalski's horses survive, and the breed is still considered endangered. In China and Mongolia conservationists are making efforts to revive the wild population, with 25% of the remaining horses being reintroduced to reserves.

Wild horses can’t be dragged away

The horses are an amazing remnant of Mother Nature’s wild side, and now researchers are attempting to recreate Przewalski's horses in all their grandeur. Already a team has successfully sequenced the complete genomes of 11 living Przewalski's horses, scientific name Equus ferus ssp. Przewalskii. They have also used DNA from specimens that loved between 1878 and 1929 to create a more authentic version of the original wild horse. After all, over 100 years captivity has led to lower genetic diversity and increased inbreeding. The sequences represent all of the founding lineages and are designed to create a ‘pure blood’ animal, as they existed in the 1870s.

Scientists have published the results of their findings in Current Biology, with Ludovic Orlando of the University of Copenhagen saying, “The novelty of our approach is to have not only surveyed the present-day genomic diversity of Przewalski's horses, but also to monitor their past genomic diversity. That way we could assess the genetic impact of more than 100 years of captivity in what used to be a critically endangered animal."

A triumph for endangered species regeneration efforts

After comparing the genomes of the wild horses to the domesticated horses we’re used to today, the team found varying degrees of difference in everything from metabolism, muscle contraction, reproduction, cardiac disorders and more. For other endangered animals currently in the scientific spotlight, the research is a fantastic step forward. Orlando maintains that “Even though Przewalski's horses went through an extreme demographic collapse, the population seems to recover, and is still genetically diverse." 

For more insight into how laboratory and animal science collide, ‘The Importance of Reliable and Efficient Sample Preparation in the Development of a Novel Forensic Method to Detect Diclofenac Residues in Vultures and Livestock Animals’ explores how a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug called Diclofenac is extensively used to treat pain and reduce inflammation in both humans and animals.

Find out more about Przewalski's horses here.