For millennia, humans have used the humble donkey (Equus asinus) for many purposes, from manual labor to all-terrain transportation. Despite a longstanding and close relationship with these beasts of burden, it’s only now that a complete genetic analysis has finally reconciled fossil evidence of where and when domestication occurred. A study published today (September 8) in Science by an international team of researchers compared the genomes of more than 200 modern donkeys to 31 of their ancient counterparts, the DNA of which was extracted from bones found by archaeologists. The donkey is primarily descended from the Nubian wild ass (Equus africanus africanus), which is believed to have gone extinct in the 1970s, though a separate clade could have come from an unknown species or the Atlas wild ass (Equus africanus atlanticus), which was driven to extinction through overhunting more than 1,700 years ago. The data suggest that humans and donkeys ...
Science Snapshot: Pin the Domestication on the Donkey
A genomic analysis reveals that humans domesticated donkeys more than 7,000 years ago.
Written byLisa Winter
Lisa Winter became social media editor for The Scientist in 2017. In addition to her duties on social media platforms, she also pens obituaries for the website. She graduated from Arizona State University, where she studied genetics, cell, and developmental biology.
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Two donkeys interacting at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark
Image credit:Frank Rønsholt
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Meet the Author
Lisa joined The Scientist in 2017. As social media editor, some of her duties include creating content, managing interactions, and developing strategies for the brand’s social media presence. She also contributes to the News & Opinion section of the website. Lisa holds a degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in genetics, cell, and developmental biology from Arizona State University and has worked in science communication since 2012.
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