Читать книгу Horse Genetics - Ernest Bailey - Страница 14

2 Evolution and Domestication of Horses

The special relationship between horses and people began approximately 5500 years ago. However, the horse encountered at the dawn of domestication was already the product of more than 50 million years of evolution occurring across several continents (reviewed in MacFadden, 1992). Changes in climate, geography, and interactions with the natural flora and fauna influenced the genes and gene combinations that were successful in each generation. By the time that people encountered the horse, it was large, strong, fleet, and social. These traits facilitated the special relationship between horses and people.