New Study Reveals Horses May Have Originated from North American Lineages

A new genetic study has challenged long-standing assumptions about the evolutionary history of horses, suggesting that ancient horses carried genetic lineages originating in North America before spreading across Asia and eventually reaching Europe.

According to international media reports, the research reshapes current understanding of how horses migrated and evolved across continents. Scientists believe that the extinct Dalian horse played a crucial role in these migrations during the Late Pleistocene.

Previously, researchers thought the Dalian horse lived only in northeastern China. However, analysis of mitochondrial DNA extracted from fossil remains revealed that these horses possessed genetic traits linked to North American populations. The same genetic signatures were later identified in ancient horses from Siberia.

The researchers conclude that the Dalian horse served as a vital genetic bridge between continents during the Late Pleistocene, helping transfer North American-related genetic lineages into horse populations across northeastern Eurasia.

The study also indicates that the species occupied a much broader range than previously believed. Fossils discovered in China's Qinggang and Harbin regions, as well as in Yakutia and southern Siberia, suggest that Dalian horses inhabited vast areas stretching from northern China to Siberia and Yakutia.

According to the scientists, these horses acted as a major "genetic corridor," allowing Eastern Beringian ancestry to spread into northeastern Siberian horse populations.

The findings prompt a reassessment of horse migration across Eurasia. Researchers argue that the Dalian horse was not merely a local species but an important contributor to the genetic development of modern horses.