Evolution & Domestication of Horses, Poultry and Livestock Flashcards
(128 cards)
1
Q
In which 2 anatomical locations is the evolution of horses reflected?
A
- Limbs
- Teeth
2
Q
When did the earliest known horses evolve?
A
55 MYA
3
Q
Where did the majority of horse species evolve?
A
North America
4
Q
What genus do modern horses belong to?
A
Equus
5
Q
What is the oldest known ancestor of horses?
A
Hyracotherium (Eohippus)
6
Q
How big was Hyracotherium?
A
Fox sized
7
Q
What was the dentition of Hyracotheriums?
A
Typical of omnivores
8
Q
How many digits were weight bearing in Hyracotherium forelimb?
A
Digits 2-5
9
Q
How many digits were weight bearing in Hyracotherium hindlimb?
A
Digits 2-4, 1 and 5 were vestigial
10
Q
When did Orohippus evolve?
A
2 MY after first appearance of Hyracotherium
11
Q
What type of foot did Hyracotherium have?
A
Padded
12
Q
What type of foot did Orohippus have?
A
Padded
13
Q
How many digits were weight bearing in the Hyracotherium forelimb?
A
4
14
Q
How many digits were weight bearing in the Hyracotherium hindlimb?
A
3
15
Q
How many digits were weight bearing in the Orohippus forelimb?
A
4
16
Q
How many digits were weight bearing in the Orohippus hindlimb?
A
3
17
Q
What is the most dramatic change between Hyracotherium and Orohippus?
A
The teeth
18
Q
What was the purpose of the change in teeth from Hyracotherium to Orohippus
A
Better grinding ability
19
Q
What came after Orohippus?
A
Mesohippus
20
Q
What is the significant change that occurred to the environment during evolution of Mesohippus?
A
Climate of NA became drier and forests became flatlands
21
Q
How many digits did Mesohippus have on each forelimb and hindlimb?
A
3
22
Q
On which digit is the majority of weight in Mesohippus?
A
3
23
Q
What other limb change did Mesohippus undergo?
A
Proportionally longer legs
24
Q
Why was evolution of proportionally longer legs and reduction of digits in Mesohippus important?
A
Allowed faster and more springy running where there was no protection from predators
25
What changes occured to Mesohippus teeth?
- Sharp crests
- More efficient grinding
26
What change occurred to the teeth in Miohippus?
Extra crest in upper molars
27
What evolution came after Mesohippus?
Miohippus (35-25 MYA)
28
Which genus did Miohippus split off from and coexist with?
Mesohippus
29
What evolved from Miohippus?
Parahippus (24-17 MYA)
30
What change to digits did Parahippus undergo?
3rd digit larger, stronger
31
What other physical change did parahippus undergo?
Elongated skull
32
How big were parahippus?
Small pony
33
Which genus is the evolutionary link between ancestral forest dwelling horses and derived plains dwelling ancestors?
Parahippus
34
What evolved from Parahippus?
Merychippus (17011 MYA)
35
Why is Merychippus a milestone in the evolution of horses?
Looked like a modern horse
36
Which genus is a milestone in the evolution of horses?
Merychippus
37
What is the significance of the Merychippus teeth?
High crowned "cheek teeth" for entirely grazing diet
38
What type of crown length do horses have?
High crowned
39
What evolved from Merychippus?
Pliohippus (12-6 MYA)
40
Which genus is thought to be grandparent of the modern horse?
Pliohippus
41
What change to the digits did Pliohippus undergo?
Medial and lateral digits barely visible stubs
42
What genus did Pliohippus give rise to?
Dinohippus (13-5 MYA)
43
What genus did dinohippus give rise to?
Equus
44
Which is the only surviving genus of the once diverse family of horses?
Equus
45
What is the name of the modern domestic horse?
Equus caballus
46
What are the 2 wild species of horse thought to have survived into modern times?
Tarpan and Przewalski
47
What do modern equids include?
Donkeys, horses and zebras
48
True or false; ALL modern equids originated from a common ancestor 4-4.5 MYA
TRUE
49
When did all modern equids arise from a common ancestor?
4-4.6 MYA
50
Which culture does data suggest domesticated the feral descendants of Przewalki's horse?
Botai
51
What impacts have horses have in human history?
Migration, farming, welfare
52
What is the name for male horse?
Stallion
53
What is the name for female horse?
Mare
54
How many times did domestication of horses occur?
Twice
55
What are the 3 strands of evidence for domestication in Kazaakhstan?
1. Cannon bones
2. Horse milk consumption
3. Bit wear on premolars
56
What evidence of horse milk consumption was found at the Botai?
Fatty lipid residues on insides of ceramics
57
Are horses domesticated by the Botai 5500 years ago related to modern horses?
No
58
What did the horses domesticated 5500 years ago by the Botai give rise to?
Przewalksi's horse
59
What culture domesticated the ancestor of the modern horse?
Sintashta
60
What characteristics did the Sintashta breed for in horses?
- Ability to ride over long distances and into battle
61
What is the "Thoroughbred gene" in horses?
Myostatin responsible for speed and precocity
62
What is precocity?
Early development
63
What type of dinosaurs did birds evolve from?
Small predatory dinosaurs
64
What were the key features of the evolution of birds? (4)
- Transition from 'dino-fuzz' to flight feathers
- Loss of teeth
- Loss of tail
- Fusion and modification of skeletal elements
65
Everything about the evolution of birds is oriented towards...
Flight
66
In the evolution of birds, what changes occured to bones?
- Outer cortex thinner but more dense
- Bones hollow or with trabeculae
67
What change occurred to body size in the evolution of birds?
Reduction
68
What change occurred to the sternum during the evolution of birds?
Became larger and evolved a **central keel** to anchor the flight muscles
69
What change occurred to limbs in the evolution of birds?
Forelimbs became longer than hindlimbs as locomotion method changed from running to flight
70
What is the scientific name of the domestic chicken?
Gallus domesticus
71
From which bird was the chicken first domesticated from?
Red jungle fowl (still extant)
72
When did domestication of the chicken occur?
8000 years ago
73
What was the likely purpose for the domestication of chickens?
Cockfighting rather than consumption of products
74
In which locations was the chicken first domesticated?
- China
- Laos
- Burma
- India
75
Where and when is the **first** archeological evidence for the domestication of the chicken from?
China; 5400 BC
76
Where did domesticated chickens spread from?
The Indus Valley to Europe and Africa
77
In which 5 ways do domesticated chickens differ from wild jungle fowl?
1. Less active
2. Fewer social interactions
3. Less aggressive
4. Increased adult body weight
5. Reach sexual maturity earlier
78
What are the implications of domesticated chickens reaching sexual maturity earlier?
- Earlier egg production
- More frequent laying
- Larger eggs
79
What are broiler chickens for?
Meat
80
What characteristics do broiler chickens have?
- Reach slaughter weight 5-7 weeks
- Gain weight on less food (efficient)
- Selection for enlarged breast muscles
81
What are the implications of selection for enlarged breast muscles and rapid growth in chickens?
1. Skeletal malformations and dysfunction
2. Leg deformities
82
What are layer hens for?
Eggs
83
What characteristics do layer chickens have?
- Production peaks at 26 weeks of age
- Egg a day
84
What species are all domestic cattle descended from?
Wild ox (**Aurochs**)
85
What are the 2 species of domestic cattle
1. Taurine
2. Zebu
86
Can the 2 different species of domestic cattle interbreed and produce **fertile** offspring?
Yes
87
What changes occurred due to colder climate due to expanses of open grassland?
Evolution of large grazers
88
What are the 3 subspecies of Aurochs?
- Indian
- Eurasian
- North African
89
When did the first species of Aurochs evolve
2 MYA
90
What led to the extinction of Eurasian Aurochs?
Excessive hunting
91
What were Aurochs used for during the Roman Empire?
Spectator arena sports
92
Which Auroch subspecies was domesticated into the modern taurine cattle breeds?
Eurasian
93
When were Eurasian Auroch subspecies domesticated into the modern taurine cattle breeds?
8000 years ago
94
Where were Eurasian Auroch subspecies domesticated into the modern taurine cattle breeds?
Turkey and Iraq
95
What accelerated the extinction of Eurasian aurochs?
Disesases
96
Which subspecies of aurochs originated from Eurasian aurochs populations that migrated from the middle east?
North African Aurochs
97
What are the key differences between aurochs and cattle?
- Proportions and body shape
98
What proportional differences did aurochs have compared to cattle?
1. Legs considerably longer
2. Shoulder height nearly equal to trunk length
3. Skull substantially larger and elongated with large horns
4. In bulls, large neck ad shoulder musculature
99
What were aurochs used for?
Meat, milk, hide, manure
100
Which 2 independent domestication events are domestic cattle the result of?
1. Indian aurochs
2. Eurasian aurochs
101
What modern cattle species did Indian aurochs form?
Zebu
102
What modern cattle species did Eurasian aurochs form?
Taurine
103
When did Indian aurochs form zebu cattle?
9000 years ago
104
When did Eurasian aurochs form taurine cattle?
8000 years ago (Turkey and Iraq)
105
Why were there so few Eurasian aurochs that contributed to modern domesticated taurine cattle?
- Aggressive
- At the time aurochs were domesticated, humans were mostly hunter-gatherers, so there were very few sedentary agricultural societies
106
What are characteristics of Zebu cattle that humans draw upon?
- Hardy
- Heat and drought tolerant
- Survive on minimal feed of low quality
- Tolerant of heat and humidity
- Increased tolerance to parasites and disease
- Used for beef
107
What are physical characteristics of Zebu cattle?
- Hump at the shoulders
- Droopy ears
108
What are characteristics of Taurine cattle that humans draw upon?
- Gave rise to dairy breeds and beef breeds
109
What are Zebu cattle also called?
Indicine
110
What are physical characteristics of Taurine cattle?
- Flat back
- Upright ears
111
What are some taurine dairy cow breeds?
- Holstein Friesian
- Jersey
- Guernsey
112
What are some taurine beef cow breeds?
- Angus
- Hereford
- Belgian blue
- Charolais
113
Which were the fist livestock species to be domesticated?
Sheep and goats
114
How many extant breeds of sheep are there?
1000
115
How many domestication events were there for sheep and goats?
Multiple
116
When were sheep first domesticated?
10500 years ago
117
Where were the multiple domestication events of sheep and goats?
Fertile Crescent
118
What were sheep initially domesticated for?
Meat, milk and skins
119
What is the primary ancestor of domestic sheep?
Asiatic Mouflon
120
Which species is thought to be the remnant of the first domesticated sheep that has become readapted to feral life?
Mediterranean Mouflon
121
What characteristics of wild sheep made them ideal for domestication?
1. Lack of aggression
2. Manageable size
3. Early sexual maturity
4. Social nature
5. High reproduction rate
122
When were sheep farmed in Ancient Egypt?
8000 years ago
123
When does evidence suggest sheep were first selected for wool?
6000 BC
124
What are the differences in fleece of ancient and modern sheep?
- Ancient sheep were plucked, not shorn - hair vs wool
- Hair fibres were longer and coarser than wool fibres
125
Who produced the merino sheep?
The Spanish
126
Which country has the highest density of sheep per capita?
New Zealand
127
Which country is the worlds largest exporter of sheep and cattle?
Australia
128
What is mulesing?
Where skin is cut away from breech area of sheep to prevent flystrike
