New DNA Analysis Revises Timeline
Horses significantly changed human history by enhancing mobility. However, the precise period between their domestication and their widespread use for transportation has long remained debated.
Recently, research led by scientists from the Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, along with several international institutions, offered new insights. By examining 475 ancient horse genomes, the team aimed to identify when human intervention began reshaping horse populations across Eurasia.
“Essentially, humans accelerated the breeding process and effectively doubled the rate of production,” explained Dr. Librado, one of the study’s researchers. He added that their new method for measuring shifts in generation times holds great promise, as it gives archaeologists a novel way to track the emergence of controlled breeding practices in many domestic animals, not just horses.
Furthermore, this technique offers a clearer understanding of the generation intervals of our hunter-gatherer ancestors and how these intervals changed in response to lifestyle shifts or major climatic events.
According to Dr. Orlando, the study reveals two major phases of horse domestication. “The first phase, around 5,500 years ago, aimed to counteract declining horse populations and supply resources to people living in the steppes of Central Asia,” he said. “The modern domestic horse emerged roughly 4,200 years ago during the second phase of domestication. This later phase proved pivotal because it introduced rapid mobility, which dramatically reshaped human history.”
The team published these findings in the journal Nature.
