File:Kherson_tarpan.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Equus ferus ferus
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The tarpan (Equus ferus ferus) was a free-ranging horse population of the Eurasian steppe from the 18th to the 20th century. What qualifies as a tarpan is subject to debate; whether tarpans were genuine wild horses, feral domesticated horses, or hybrids is unclear, though DNA sequencing suggests that at least some tarpans were genetically distinct from modern domestic horses. The last individual believed to be a tarpan died in captivity in the Russian Empire in 1909.
The tarpan (Equus ferus ferus) was a horse population that roamed the Eurasian steppe until it went extinct in the early 20th century, though scientists still debate whether these animals were truly wild horses, escaped domestic horses, or hybrids. Its significance lies partly in understanding the origins and genetics of wild versus domesticated horses, since DNA evidence indicates that at least some tarpans were genetically distinct from the horses we know today.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
~18 min read
Encyclopedic overview
16 sectionsContents
- Name and etymology
- Taxonomy
- Appearance
- History
- DNA
- Forest tarpan
- 16th century free-ranging horses in Europe
- The tarpans of 18th century Europe
- Extinction
- Tarpans interbreeding with domestic horses
- Wild horses vs. feral horses
- Breeding back the tarpan
- Assessment
- See also
- References
- External links
The tarpan (Equus ferus ferus) was a free-ranging horse population of the Eurasian steppe from the 18th to the 20th century. What qualifies as a tarpan is subject to debate; whether tarpans were genuine wild horses, feral domesticated horses, or hybrids is unclear, though DNA sequencing suggests that at least some tarpans were genetically distinct from modern domestic horses. The last individual believed to be a tarpan died in captivity in the Russian Empire in 1909.
Beginning in the 1930s, several attempts were made to develop horses that looked like tarpans through selective breeding, called breeding back by advocates. The breeds that resulted included the Heck horse, and a derivation of the Konik breed, all of which have a primitive appearance, particularly in having a grullo coat colour. Some of these horses are now commercially promoted as "tarpans", although such animals are only domesticated breeds and not the wild animal themselves.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Equus ferus ferus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.