Horses Originated in America and Reached Europe Through China, Fossil DNA Reveals

A groundbreaking study utilizing fossil DNA has challenged the long-held belief that horses were introduced to the Americas by Spanish conquistadors. The research indicates that horses actually originated in North America millions of years ago and later reached Europe through an unexpected pathway involving China.

The study focused on an extinct lineage known as the Dalian horse, previously considered a local anomaly in northeastern China. Researchers discovered that this lineage possessed a distinct American ancestry. This genetic heritage was then passed on to ancient horse populations in Siberia, serving as a crucial link.

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Dalian horses likely served as one route through which North American-related genetic ancestry entered Northeast Eurasian horse populations.

This gene flow suggests that the ancestors of modern European horses acquired their North American genetic roots through this Chinese intermediary. The findings position the Dalian horse as a pivotal lineage for understanding the evolution of equids in Northeast Asia during the late Pleistocene epoch and the dynamics of genetic exchange across the Bering Strait.

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The findings position the Dalian horse as a key lineage for elucidating late Pleistocene equid evolution in Northeast Asia and the dynamics of trans-Beringian genetic exchange.