A new mitochondrial DNA study from an international team led by Connie Mulligan at the University of Florida suggests that wild donkeys were descended from solely the Nubian wild ass, and not, as had been believed, both the Nubian and Somali wild asses. In addition, it seems that the Nubian wild ass appears to be descended from domestic donkeys--and such a situation is not as rare as you might think.
Somali wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis), Israel. Photo byTom Brakefield / Getty Images
Donkeys are one of the few animal species recognized to have been domesticated outside of the Levant; evidence is clear that donkeys were domesticated in Africa. Up to now, researchers have assumed that both the Somali and Nubian asses, both still living in parts of north Africa (if both endangered), provided DNA to domestic donkeys. The new study uncovered evidence that domestication probably took place something on the order of 8,000 years ago. It is also suggested that introgression--interbreeding between wild and domestic animals--took place several times since then, and that domestication probably took place several times; but that domestication process seems to have been solely from the Nubian ass.
Introgression happens when domestic animals and wild animals are still present in the population, and its known to have occurred with both pigs and reindeer: as a matter of fact, it happens whenever a specific kind of animal isn't much inclined to run about in herds. Further, there is evidence at Abydos, for example, that despite the availability of domestic animals, the Bronze Age Egyptians chose the bulkier, less delicate wild asses for some tasks.
While the new information may not be earth-shattering to the world at large, as an example of the variation on how animals (and their humans) became domesticated, the new research is quite interesting.
Sources and Further Information
Kimura B, Marshall FB, Chen S, Rosenbom S, Moehlman PD, Tuross N, Sabin RC, Peters J, Barich B, Yohannes H et al. 2010. Ancient DNA from Nubian and Somali wild ass provides insights into donkey ancestry and domestication. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences:in press. Online version currently available for free.
Comments
Interesting article, I suppose it could be argued that Nubia is more ‘central’ in terms of early agriculture than Somalia.
It is easy to forget that asses have been in use twice as long as horses
That is so interesting! As both a pre-history / history lover and an equine lover, I especially appreciate this story.
very interesting article. whether donkey’s were present in Indus valley civilization.
S.Vasanthi