Evolution and Horse Diversity

We know that selective breeding in dogs causes them to be more pleasing to humans to put in shows and such, but this also reduces their fitness. Even without artificial measures, humans are suffering from genetic degradation, which is evidence for recent creation. Now we learn that horses are losing genetic diversity.

The spotted stallion in a hilly landscape by Paulus Potter, ca. 1650

Believers in universal common descent evolution have difficulties with alleged horse evolution, and it turns out that our trusty steeds have genetic degradation as well. Some of this is comparatively recent. This, too, points to recent creation.

In an attempt to discover the lineage of horses, over one hundred researchers have recently examined the genomes of over two hundred fossil horses and compared them to the genomes of modern horses. Their results indicate that horses have lost a lot of genetic diversity—much of it within the last two hundred years. The average loss among modern breeds of horses when compared to their horse ancestors is over 16%. In other words, modern breeds of horses have 16% less available options than their ancestors. For example, the frequency of the gene for slower speeds, which likely has some fitness benefits, has drastically decreased, as humans bred horses for speed. The frequency of coat colors, such as spotted, have also decreased. Even more interestingly, the horse Y chromosome has suffered a similar drop in diversity in the last millennium. 

To read the entire article, ride on over to "Speedy Horses Can't Outrun Loss of Diversity".

 



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