Geochemical
analysis of fossil teeth shows horses in Florida did not make epic migrations
Date: December 19, 2018
Source: University of Cincinnati
Summary:
A
strontium analysis of fossilized horse teeth from Florida found that the
animals did not travel far from where they were born. Researchers also found
evidence that prehistoric horses fed along the coast like wild horses do today
at places like Assateague Island National Seashore.
Unlike
today's zebras, prehistoric horses in parts of North America did not make epic
migrations to find food or fresh water, according to a new study by the
University of Cincinnati.
The
findings suggest Florida was something of a horse paradise 5 million years ago,
providing everything the animals could want in a relatively small area.
The study
was published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology,
Palaeoecology.
Plains
zebras and Mongolian wild horses take on epic migrations each year to find
water or green grass.
The
Mongolian wild horse, also known as a Przewalski's horse, travels as much as 13
miles per day. And Burchell's zebras in southern Africa are known for their
seasonal migrations that take them as far as 300 miles and back as they follow
the rains to green grass.
But
geologists in UC's McMicken College of Arts and Sciences found that prehistoric
horses in coastal Florida lived and died within a comparatively small area.
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