Wild horse | |
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Przewalski's Horse | |
Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Perissodactyla |
Family: | Equidae |
Genus: | Equus |
Subgenus: | Equus |
Species: | E. ferus |
Binomial name | |
Equus ferus Boddaert, 1785 |
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Subspecies | |
The wild horse (Equus ferus) is a species of the genus Equus, which includes as subspecies the domesticated horse as well as the undomesticated Tarpan and Przewalski's Horse.[2] The Tarpan became extinct in the 19th century, and Przewalski's Horse was saved from the brink of extinction and reintroduced successfully to the wild. The possible ancestor of the domestic horse was the Tarpan, which roamed the steppes of Eurasia at the time of domestication.[3][4][5][6][7] However, other subspecies of Equus ferus may have existed and could have been the stock from which domesticated horses are descended.[8] Since the extinction of the Tarpan, attempts have been made to reconstruct the phenotype of the Tarpan, resulting in horse breeds such as the Konik and Heck horse. However, the genetic makeup and foundation bloodstock of those breeds is substantially derived from domesticated horses, and therefore these breeds possess domesticated traits.
The term "wild horse" is also used colloquially to refer to free roaming herds of feral horses such as the Mustang in the United States, the Brumby in Australia, and many others. These feral horses are untamed members of the domestic horse subspecies (Equus ferus caballus), and should not be confused with the two truly "wild" horse subspecies.
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E. ferus had several subspecies. Three survived into modern times:[9]
These are the only two never-domesticated "wild" groups that survived into historic times.[8] However, other subspecies of Equus ferus may have existed and could have been the stock from which domesticated horses are descended.[8]
Przewalski's Horse occupied the eastern Eurasian steppes, perhaps from the Urals to Mongolia, although the ancient border between Tarpan and Przewalski distributions has not been clearly defined. Przewalski's Horse was limited to Dzungaria and western Mongolia in the same period, became extinct in the wild during the 1960s, but was re-introduced in the late 1980s to two preserves in Mongolia. Although researchers such as Marija Gimbutas theorized that the horses of the Chalcolithic period were Przewalski's, more recent genetic studies indicate that Przewalski's Horse is not an ancestor to modern domesticated horses.
Przewalski's Horse is still found today, though it is an endangered species and for a time was considered extinct in the wild. Roughly 1500 Przewalski's Horses are protected in zoos around the world. A small breeding population has been reintroduced in Mongolia.[10] As of 2005, a cooperative venture between the Zoological Society of London and Mongolian Scientists has resulted in a free-ranging population of 248 animals in the wild.[11]
Przewalski's Horse has some biological differences from the domestic horse; unlike domesticated horses and the Tarpan, which both have 64 chromosomes, Przewalski's Horse has 66 chromosomes due to a Robertsonian translocation. However, the offspring of Przewalski and domestic horses are fertile, possessing 65 chromosomes.[12]
The horse family Equidae and the genus Equus evolved in North America, before the species moved into the Eastern Hemisphere. Studies using ancient DNA as well as DNA of recent individuals, shows the presence of two closely related horse species in North America, the Wild Horse and the "New World stilt-legged horse;" the latter is taxonomically assigned to various names. [6] [13] Currently, three subspecies that lived during recorded human history are recognized.[9] One subspecies is the widespread domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus),[9] as well as two wild subspecies, the recently-extinct Tarpan (Equus ferus ferus) and the endangered Przewalski's Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii).[4] [5] [9] Genetically, the pre-domestication horse, Equus ferus ferus, and domesticated horse, Equus ferus caballus, form a single homogeneous group (clade) and are genetically indistinguishable from each other.[6][13][14] [15] The genetic variation within this clade shows only a limited regional variation, with a notable exception of Przewalski's Horse.[6][13][14][15] Przewalski's Horse has several unique genetic differences that distinguishes it from the other subspecies, including 66 instead of 64 chromosomes,[4] [16] unique Y-chromosome gene haplotypes, [17] and unique mtDNA haplotypes. [18] Besides genetic differences, osteological evidence from across the Eurasian wild horse range, based on cranial and metacarpal differences, indicates the presence of only two subspecies in post-glacial times, the Tarpan and Przewalski's Horse.[8] [19]
At present, the domesticated and wild horses are considered a single species, with the valid scientific name for the horse species being Equus ferus. The wild Tarpan subspecies is Equus ferus ferus, Przewalski's Horse is Equus ferus przewalskii, and the domesticated horse is Equus ferus caballus.[20] The rules for the scientific naming of animal species are determined in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, which stipulates that the oldest available valid scientific name is used to name the species. Previously, when taxonomists considered domesticated and wild horse two subspecies of the same species, the valid scientific name was Equus caballus Linnaeus 1758,[21] with the subspecies labeled Equus caballus caballus (domesticated horse), Equus caballus ferus Boddaert, 1785 (tarpan) and Equus caballus przewalskii Poliakov, 1881 (Przewalski's Horse). However, in 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature decided that the scientific names of the wild species have priority over the scientific names of domesticated species, therefore mandating the use of Equus ferus for the horse, independent of the position of the domesticated horse.
Horses that live in an untamed state but have ancestors who have been domesticated are not truly "wild" horses; they are feral horses. For example, when Europeans reintroduced the horse to the Americas beginning in the late 15th century, some horses escaped and formed feral herds, the best-known being the Mustang. The Australian equivalent to the Mustang is the Brumby, descended from horses strayed or let loose in Australia by English settlers.[22] There are isolated populations of feral horses in a number of places, including Portugal, Scotland, and a number of barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of North America from Sable Island off Nova Scotia, to the Shackleford Banks of North Carolina. While these are often referred to as "wild" horses, they are not truly "wild" in the biological sense of having no domesticated ancestors.
In 1995, British and French explorers discovered a new population of horses in the Riwoche Valley of Tibet, unknown to the rest of the world, but apparently used by the local Khamba people. It was speculated that the Riwoche horse might be a relict population of wild horses,[23] but testing did not reveal genetic differences with domesticated horses,[24] which is in line with news reports indicating that they are used as pack and riding animals by the local villagers.[25] These horses only stand 12 hands (48 inches, 122 cm) tall and are said to resemble the images known as "horse no 2" depicted in cave paintings alongside images of Przewalski's horse.[24]
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Wild horse (Equus ferus) is a species of the genus Equus that includes domesticated and undomesticated subspecies.
Wild horse or Wild horses may also refer to:
Wild Horses – The Nashville Album is the seventeenth studio album by British rock band Smokie, released on 25 February 1998 by CMC Records.
The Millers is an American sitcom that was created by Greg Garcia and stars Will Arnett as Nathan Miller and Margo Martindale as Carol Miller. The multi-camera series aired from October 3, 2013 to July 18, 2015 and ran 34 episodes over two seasons on CBS.
CBS announced the cancellation of The Millers on November 14, 2014, four episodes into the show's second season. The series filmed their final episode on November 17, 2014. Eleven episodes were produced during season 2 before production shut down. The producers decided to finish the episode "Hero", which was underway at the time for the financial sake of the below the line crew members that had already worked on the episode for several days. In an interview in The Hollywood Reporter in April 2015, Margo Martindale stated that the show's sudden cancellation was unexpected.
The Millers is set in Leesburg, Virginia where Nathan Miller is a local television news reporter. His sister Debbie runs a combination yoga studio/vegan restaurant with her husband Adam, with whom she has a daughter named Mikayla. Nathan does not have any children and often hangs out with Ray, his friend who also serves as a cameraman for the television station at which Nathan works. As the series begins, Nathan and Debbie's bickering parents, Tom and Carol Miller, are returning from Myrtle Beach. Nathan informs them he divorced his wife, Janice, several months ago. Tom responds by deciding to leave Carol, ending their 43-year marriage. Tom moves in with Debbie and Adam while Carol moves in with Nathan, each driving their children crazy.
The Millers is an American sitcom that was created by Greg Garcia. The multi-camera series premiered on CBS as part of the 2013–14 American television season and aired from October 3, 2013 to July 18, 2015.The Millers is set in Leesburg, Virginia where Nathan Miller is a local television news reporter. His sister Debbie runs a combination yoga studio/vegan restaurant with her husband Adam, with whom she has a daughter named Mikayla. Nathan does not have any children and often hangs out with Ray, his friend who also serves as a cameraman for the fictional television station at which Nathan works. As the series begins, Nathan and Debbie's bickering parents, Tom and Carol Miller, are returning from Myrtle Beach. Nathan informs them he divorced his wife, Janice, several months ago. Tom responds by deciding to leave Carol after being married for forty-three years. Tom moves in with Debbie and Adam while Carol moves in with Nathan, each driving their children crazy. On March 13, 2014, The Millers was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 20, 2014.
I feel these four walls closin' in
Face up against the glass
I'm lookin' out, hmm
Is this my life I'm wonderin'
It happens so fast
How do I turn this thing around?
Is this the bed I chose to make?
It's greener pastures I'm thinkin' about
Hmm, wide open spaces far away
All I want is the wind in my hair
To face the fear but not feel scared
Wild horses I wanna be like you
Throwin' caution to the wind, I'll run free too
Wish I could recklessly love like I'm longin' to
I wanna run with the wild horses
Run with the wild horses, oh
Yea, yea
I see the girl I wanna be
Riding bare back, carefree
Along for shore
If only that someone was me
Jumpin' head first, head long
Without a thought
To act and down the consequence
How I wish it could be that easy?
But fear surrounds me like a fence
I wanna break free
All I want is the wind in my hair
To face the fear, but not feel scared
Ooh, wild horses I wanna be like you
Throwing caution to the wind, I'll run free too
Wish I could recklessly love like I'm longin' to
Wanna run with the wild horses
Run with the wild horses
I wanna run too
Recklessly emboundin' myself before you
I wanna open up my heart
Telling how I feel
Ohh, wild horses I wanna be like you
Throwing caution to the wind, I'll run free too
Wish I could recklessly love like I'm longin' to
I wanna run with the wild horses
Run with the wild horses
Run with the wild horses
Ohh, yea, yea