News Genetics

Ancient DNA bucks tale of how the horse was tamed

Modern-day breeding, not domestication, winnowed genetic diversity

Mongolian horses

RIDE ON  Mongolian horses (shown) and other present-day horse breeds have less genetic diversity than domesticated horses did around 2,000 years ago.

Eric Crubézy

By Tina Hesman Saey

- More than 2 years ago

DNA from 2,000-year-old stallions is helping rewrite the story of horse domestication.

Ancient domesticated horses had much more genetic diversity than their present-day descendants do, researchers report in the April 28 Science.