Riwoche horse
Encyclopedia
The Riwoche horse is a very small horse
, discovered in an isolated region of Tibet
in 1995. Previously unknown to science, these small animals may be an evolutionary link between the prehistoric wild horse
and the modern domestic horse
, though it could also be a domesticated variety that reverted to a small size and primitive coloring
. They are pony-sized and dun in color.
. While on an expedition to study another newly-discovered horse breed that Peissel had located in 1993, the Nangchen horse
, he came upon a number of small horses in an isolated valley in the Riwoche region
of Tibet
. These animals were unknown to the rest of the world, but apparently used by the local Bon-po people, Peissel and his crew obtained blood samples from the herd for DNA
testing.
It was speculated that the horse might be a relict
population of wild horses. A British equine psychologist accompanying the expedition, Dr. Ignasi Casas, theorized that the Riwoche horse was a relict population due to living in near-complete isolation from other breeds for a very long time. Other hypotheses suggest it is possibly an evolutionary link between the prehistoric horse and the domesticated horse, but testing did not reveal genetic variance with other horses,
which is in line with news reports indicating that they are used as pack and riding animals by the local villagers. Peissel noted the resemblance of the Riwoche horse to the Przewalski's horse
, but also is certain the two are not related.
sized, standing only tall. They are said to resemble horses depicted in cave paintings. They are dun
in color, with an angular body, upright mane and the primitive markings
including a dorsal stripe and stripes on the back of the legs. These features are similar to those of other ancient horse breeds. They also have small ears, a rough coat. small jaw, straight, flat forehead, and unique, narrow "duck-bill" nostrils.
Their unusual appearance led Peissel to speculate that they could be a "living fossil." He noted that they strongly resembled a horse distinct from but often pictured with the Przewalski's horse in prehistoric cave art.
, including a rare white-lipped deer, as well as what is believed to be the source of the Mekong river.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, discovered in an isolated region of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
in 1995. Previously unknown to science, these small animals may be an evolutionary link between the prehistoric wild horse
Wild Horse
The wild horse is a species of the genus Equus, which includes as subspecies the domesticated horse as well as the undomesticated Tarpan and Przewalski's Horse. The Tarpan became extinct in the 19th century, and Przewalski's Horse was saved from the brink of extinction and reintroduced...
and the modern domestic horse
Domestication of the horse
There are a number of hypotheses on many of the key issues regarding the domestication of the horse. Although horses appeared in Paleolithic cave art as early as 30,000 BCE, these were truly wild horses and were probably hunted for meat. How and when horses became domesticated is disputed...
, though it could also be a domesticated variety that reverted to a small size and primitive coloring
Primitive markings
Primitive markings among domestic horses are a group of hair coat markings and qualities associated with primitive breeds, and the dun coat color family in particular. All dun horses possess at least the dorsal stripe but the presence of the other primitive markings varies...
. They are pony-sized and dun in color.
Discovery
The breed was discovered in 1995 in an isolated, 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) long valley reached only by crossing a 5000 metres (16,404.2 ft) mountain pass. They were spotted by a team of explorers led by the French ethnologist Michel PeisselMichel Peissel
Michel Georges Francois Peissel was a French ethnologist, explorer and author. He wrote twenty books mostly on his Himalayan and Tibetan expeditions...
. While on an expedition to study another newly-discovered horse breed that Peissel had located in 1993, the Nangchen horse
Nangchen horse
The Nangchen horse is a small breed of horse native to the Kham region of northern Tibet, thought to have been bred pure since the 9th century. They became known to the western world in 1994 due to the exploration of French anthropologist Michel Peissel....
, he came upon a number of small horses in an isolated valley in the Riwoche region
Riwoqê County
Riwoqê County, or Riwoche is a county of the Chamdo Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region....
of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. These animals were unknown to the rest of the world, but apparently used by the local Bon-po people, Peissel and his crew obtained blood samples from the herd for DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
testing.
It was speculated that the horse might be a relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
population of wild horses. A British equine psychologist accompanying the expedition, Dr. Ignasi Casas, theorized that the Riwoche horse was a relict population due to living in near-complete isolation from other breeds for a very long time. Other hypotheses suggest it is possibly an evolutionary link between the prehistoric horse and the domesticated horse, but testing did not reveal genetic variance with other horses,
which is in line with news reports indicating that they are used as pack and riding animals by the local villagers. Peissel noted the resemblance of the Riwoche horse to the Przewalski's horse
Przewalski's Horse
Przewalski's Horse or Dzungarian Horse, is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of central Asia, specifically China and Mongolia.At one time extinct in the wild, it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at the Khustain Nuruu...
, but also is certain the two are not related.
Characteristics
The Riwoche horse is actually ponyPony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
sized, standing only tall. They are said to resemble horses depicted in cave paintings. They are dun
Dun gene
The dun gene is a dilution gene that affects both red and black pigments in the coat color of a horse. The dun gene has the ability to affect the appearance of all black, bay, or chestnut -based horses to some degree by lightening the base body coat and suppressing the underlying base color to the...
in color, with an angular body, upright mane and the primitive markings
Primitive markings
Primitive markings among domestic horses are a group of hair coat markings and qualities associated with primitive breeds, and the dun coat color family in particular. All dun horses possess at least the dorsal stripe but the presence of the other primitive markings varies...
including a dorsal stripe and stripes on the back of the legs. These features are similar to those of other ancient horse breeds. They also have small ears, a rough coat. small jaw, straight, flat forehead, and unique, narrow "duck-bill" nostrils.
Their unusual appearance led Peissel to speculate that they could be a "living fossil." He noted that they strongly resembled a horse distinct from but often pictured with the Przewalski's horse in prehistoric cave art.
Subsequent discoveries
On the same expedition, Peissel also discovered other isolated and unique species of megafaunaMegafauna
In terrestrial zoology, megafauna are "giant", "very large" or "large" animals. The most common thresholds used are or...
, including a rare white-lipped deer, as well as what is believed to be the source of the Mekong river.
See also
- List of megafauna discovered in modern times
- Nangchen horseNangchen horseThe Nangchen horse is a small breed of horse native to the Kham region of northern Tibet, thought to have been bred pure since the 9th century. They became known to the western world in 1994 due to the exploration of French anthropologist Michel Peissel....
- Tibetan ponyTibetan PonyThe Tibetan pony is today found in Tibet. Once thought to be simple hardy mountain ponies developed from Mongolian stock, recent research indicates that there may be up to six separate horse breeds native to Tibet.-History:...
- Mongolian horseMongolian horseThe Mongol horse is the native horse breed of Mongolia. The breed is purported to be largely unchanged since the time of Genghis Khan. Nomads living in the traditional Mongol fashion still hold more than 3 million animals, which outnumber the country's human population...
- Wild horseWild HorseThe wild horse is a species of the genus Equus, which includes as subspecies the domesticated horse as well as the undomesticated Tarpan and Przewalski's Horse. The Tarpan became extinct in the 19th century, and Przewalski's Horse was saved from the brink of extinction and reintroduced...