Scientists unravel the genome of the horse.
An international team of scientists managed to decipher the genome, or all the hereditary information encoded in DNA of the domestic horse. The work, published in the journal “Science,” could explain how the horses were domesticated.
The authors of the study found that the DNA of the horse has many similarities with human DNA. Horses suffer from more than ninety inherited diseases that are similar to human ones. By comparing the similarities and differences of genetic diseases of horses and humans, perhaps it will be be possible to develop ways of curing them in the future.
To generate a genome sequence of high quality, the researchers analyzed the DNA of an adult thoroughbred mare named Twilight.
The horse’s DNA was sequenced using a technology known as Sanger sequencing and revealed a genome that has about 2.7 billion “letters” or nucleotides.
In addition to sequencing the genome of a thoroughbred horse, researchers also examined the DNA of other breeds like the Arabian horse and the Andalusian, among others.
The team analyzed the extent of genetic variation in a breed and between breeds of horses to create a catalog of more than one million genetic differences between these breeds.
The genome of the horse is a little larger than the domestic dog’s and smaller than the human genome and the cow’s.
Horses were domesticated for the first time between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago. Over time, the work of the animal has been replaced by machines in agriculture and industry, and the horse took on another role in sports and recreation.