Horsetalk.co.nz Gene flow between Eurasian and North American horses revealed by ancient DNA
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Ancient horses crossed over the Bering Land Bridge in both directions between North America and Asia multiple times during the Pleistocene. Image: Julius Csotonyi
Analysis of ancient horse DNA reveals the gene flow between horse populations in North America, where they evolved, and Eurasia, where they were domesticated.
The study of DNA from horse fossils shows that horse populations on the two continents remained connected through the Bering Land Bridge, moving back and forth and interbreeding multiple times over hundreds of thousands of years.