Large scale projects France Génomique: The origin of domestic horses finally established

The modern domestic horse originated in the Pontic steppes, in the northern Caucasus, where it was first domesticated before conquering the rest of Eurasia in just a few centuries. This is the result of a study led by paleogeneticist Ludovic Orlando, from CNRS, who heads an international team involving the University of Toulouse 3 – Paul Sabatier, the CEA and the University of Evry. This answer to a decades-old enigma is published in Nature on October 20, 2021. This study was carried out in part within the framework of the large scale projects of the France Genomics call for proposals.

The origins and spread of domestic horses from the Western Eurasian steppes, Pablo Librado, (…), Ludovic Orlando. Nature, 20 Octobre 2021. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04018-9