Equids

Recently we have managed to elaborate a method to evaluate the permanent marks caused by work and lifestyle
on horses’ metatarsus, which is suitable to establish – even in the absence of associated artefacts - the way
horses of archaeological age were used. The structure of the metatarsus is most typically characterising the
specimen in the zone of f.n. (foramen nutricium), therefore this was the location where we prepared across
sectional ground sample, serving as the basis of the analyses. Recently in several projects we have faced the
problem that - for reasons of the protection of cultural heritage artefacts - it is just the most important finds in
the case of which bones should not be examined in a destructive manner, i.e. by preparing cross-sectional
ground samples as we do when applying the basic method. Furthermore, the high demand for such testing also
required us to elaborate a faster and non-destructive method of the analysis the metatarsus-cortex. On the recent
level of technological development, theoretically there are two widely available options for that: magnetic
resonance imaging and computed tomography, however, our experience shows that in archaeological practice
only the latter is usable. We tested the new method through the examination of the horses of the CsanytelekÚjhalastó and Szentes-Vekerzug Scythian cemeteries; the experience gained, and the lessons learnt from these
tests, important from the viewpoint of methodology, will be described herein. The result of the tests conducted to
analyse hypertrophy caused by work in the horse remains of the above-mentioned cemeteries will be published
in the separate study.

The biological, ecological and anthropological aspects of the bone deposits The bones, the rigid elements constituting the inner framework of the vertebrates, do not only represent food remains and traces of the material culture found in the archaeological sites. Through the living animal, those parts of the endoskeleton are involved in economic, technical, religious events and social human acts. Bone remains also indicate the behaviour, movements and the social arrangements of people in a given period. In order to study human behaviour, the methodologies of life and social sciences could be applied. The objective features οf each bio-archaeological assemblage could be based on the examination, the counting of the fragments, the multifactor statistics and the, eventual , chemical analysis. The analysis of variance could take into account the geographical area, the space, the organisation of the architectural constructions, the stratigraphy (reflecting the historical accomplished facts), the collective representations, the written documents and, ultimately, the human demography. The morphology of the human group (age, sex, social stratification, political structure etc .) are not always visible, but attitudes and beliefs can be traced. * I am most grateful to Prof. A. Mazarakis Ainian for inviting me to participate in the research project concerning the Social Archaeology of EIA and EA Greece, a most valuable support in a period of social and economic crisis; the archaeologists

The described specimens have been collected from the Dhok Pathan Formation of the Siwaliks, northern Pakistan. The new material consists of the isolated dentition and reflects morphological features of Sivalhippus nagriensis. The specimens were observed and compared with the previous data. The new discovered material found from the Dhok Pathan type locality identifies the species Sivalhippus nagriensis. The new sample contributes additional information about the species Sivalhippus nagriensis.

Zech 9:9b features a clustering of donkey terms which each have a unique semantic range, but the nuances are often missed or distorted in the English versions.  In order to properly understand and translate Zech 9:9b, one must examine the lexical field for donkeys. Biblical Hebrew employs three terms for the domestic donkey/Equus asinus (hamor, ’aton and ‘ayir) and only one term for the hybrid (pered/pirdah).  This study clarifies the semantic ranges of these four terms and also compares/contrasts the terms in order to sharpen the semantic distinctions and to appreciate the degree of semantic overlap between them.

L'empire néo-assyrien (IX e-VII e s. av. J.-C.) est un empire conquérant. L'armée, menant des cam-pagnes annuelles, a un besoin constant en ressources équines. Victorieux, les rois assyriens font orner les murs de leurs palais de reliefs figuratifs représentant leurs exploits. Ces reliefs sculptés présentent de nombreuses actions militaires et cynégétiques. Les équidés, parmi lesquels les che-vaux, y prennent activement part. Leurs représentations sont marquées par de multiples détails particuliers qui apparaissent comme le fruit de conventions iconographiques ou à l'inverse, comme les témoins d'un réalisme naturaliste. L'observation du réel attaché à une approche comparatiste permet alors d'apporter de nouvelles pistes de recherche afin de mettre en lumière le caractère intrinsèque des détails sculptés.

The Neo-Assyrian empire (9th-6th c. BCE) is driven by conquests. The army, which leads annual campaigns, has a constant need in equine resources. Victorious, the Assyrian kings have their exploits carved on reliefs initially installed within their royal palaces. These reliefs show numerous military and hunting scenes. Equids, among which horses, take part in these actions. Their representations show multiple specific details that appear to be either the fruit of iconographic conventions or witnesses of a naturalistic realism. The observation of reality linked to a comparative approach brings new elements and answers in order to highlight the intrinsic nature of carved details.

Brucellos is is co nsidered one of the most
important zoonotic diseases in the world because
of its implications for public health and its impact
on livestock production. In the equine species, the
presentation of this disease is important, because
these animals are potential hosts and contribute to
the intro duct ion of the disease in unaffect ed areas, as
well as to the maintenance of this disease in endemic
zones. In the Department of Córdoba, Colombia,
there have been no recent studies that establish the
prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of
the disease in equids. The purpose of the present
study was to estimate the prevalence of Brucella
sp. in equids of the departm ent of Córdoba. A
cross -sect ional descr iptive st udy was carr ied out
involving 506 equids from 14 municipalities of
the departm ent. Three species from 46 farms
were st udied: hors es (n=257), ass es (n=130)
and mules (n=119). The techniques used for the
serolog ical diagnosis were: rapid aggl utination,
which was perform ed in 506 equids, using the
Bengal Ros e (RB) method; and the confirm atory
method was perform ed on 23 equids, using
the com petitive ELISA tecnique (C-ELISA ).
Conventional PCR was perform ed by amplifying
the IS711 region of Brucell a sp. from exudate
samples (n=2) and EDTA blood (n=4). The
results of the study showed that the seroprevalence
of brucellosis in equids was 4.5% (23/506) using the RB methodology, with the following distribution
by species: 20 horses, 2 asses and 1 mule. With the
C-ELISA technique, the seroprevalence was 4.3%
(1/23), whereas by PCR no bacterial DNA was
detected in the six samples analyzed. The positivity
in farms was 28.2% (13/46). In co ncl usion, the
seroprevalence figures obtained in the present study
demonstr ate the import ance of epidemiolog ical
surveill ance in the different species susc eptible to
brucellosis.

A cross sectional study was conducted in Jimma town from October 2010 to March 2011 with the objective of determining the status of intestinal nematode parasites of equids, and the association of different variables with infection rate. To address this, a total of 400 equids; donkeys (n = 29), horses (n = 317) and mules (n = 54) were used in this study and based on the coprological examination to identify parasite eggs, three species of nematodes were identified with an overall prevalence of 72.25%. A prevalence of 63.25%, 16.50%, 4.25%, and 10.75% were identified for Strongyles, Parascaris equorum, Oxyuris equi, and mixed infection respectively. Highest to lowest prevalence of Strongyles (63.72, 51.85 and 79.31%), P. equorum (17.98, 12.96 and 6.89%) and O. equi (5.04, 1.85 and 0.00%) were observed in horse, mule and donkey, respectively. The statistical analysis between the species of equine and strongyle infection rate, body condition scores with strongyle and P. equorum infection rate (p b 0.05). However, species of the animal was not significantly associated with P. equorum (p b 0.05). The infection rate of O. equi was not significantly associated with body condition score, age and species of equines (p N 0.05 for all variables) and no significant difference (p N 0.05) between the prevalence of intestinal nematodes and sex of the animal was showed. Therefore, the present study revealed that intestinal nematodes are an important health problem in the area affecting the wellbeing and productivity of equids.

Analysis and interpretation of the passage of the Etymologies and of the treated words, including the correction of a few readings, and the revised text. We note its literary sources, and explain the author’s methodology and linguistic conception regarding the etymology and meaning of words. According to the underlying structure and scientific frame in which the text is supported, Isidore distinguishes wild asses and wild horses (onagri and equiferi) from the domestic ones (asini and equi). He divides asses into smaller working donkeys (aselli) and big asses (asini Arcadici), and horses into a vulgar class for pulling carts (ueredus), including a variety of minor size (mannus), and another class of noble saddle-horses, of which he mentions eight races according to their geographical origin. Among the crossbreeds he mentions the mule (mulus), the hinny (burdo) and the cross of a wild ass and a jenny.

African horse sickness is a vector-transmitted viral disease that affects equidae. The authors report cases of disease that occurred in Namibia between 2006 and 2008. These were recorded by staff of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale' and the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek. All cases described were confirmed by laboratory testing. This study received the support of Namibian state and private veterinarians and horse breeders.

African horse sickness is a vector-transmitted viral disease that affects equidae. The authors report cases of disease that occurred in Namibia between 2006 and 2008. These were recorded by staff of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’ and the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek. All cases described were confirmed by laboratory testing. This study received the support of Namibian state and private veterinarians and horse breeders.

Analysis and interpretation of the passage of the Etymologies
and of the treated words, including the
correction of a few readings, and the revised text.
We note its literary sources, and explain the author’s
methodology and linguistic conception regarding the
etymology and meaning of words. According to the
underlying structure and scientific frame in which
the text is supported, Isidore distinguishes wild asses
and wild horses (onagri and equiferi) from the
domestic ones (asini and equi). He divides asses into
smaller working donkeys (aselli) and big asses (asini
Arcadici), and horses into a vulgar class for pulling
carts (ueredus), including a variety of minor size
(mannus), and another class of noble saddle-horses,
of which he mentions eight races according to their
geographical origin. Among the crossbreeds he mentions
the mule (mulus), the hinny (burdo) and the
cross of a wild ass and a jenny.

Hippidions were equids with very distinctive anatomical features. They lived in South America 2.5 million years ago (Ma) until their extinction approximately 10 000 years ago. The evolutionary origin of the three known Hippidion morphospecies is still disputed. Based on palaeontological data, Hippidion could have diverged from the lineage leading to modern equids before 10 Ma. In contrast, a much later divergence date, with Hippidion nesting within modern equids, was indicated by partial ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences. Here, we characterized eight Hippidion complete mitochondrial genomes at 3.4-386.3-fold coverage using target-enrichment capture and next-generation sequencing. Our dataset reveals that the two morphospecies sequenced (H. saldiasi and H. principale) formed a monophyletic clade, basal to extant and extinct Equus lineages. This contrasts with previous genetic analyses and supports Hippidion as a distinct genus, in agreement with palaeontological models. We date the...

A complete dental sequence comprising all 24 cheek teeth of an adult (perhaps aged between 6 and 8 years) equid from Hook, an Iron Age site in Hampshire, England, is described and measurements are provided. Judging by their size they probably belonged to a pony. The patterns of the enamel folds - elongated protocone in the upper teeth, U shaped internal fold in the lower teeth and partial penetration between the flexids in the lower molars - indicate they probably belonged to Equus caballus rather than E. asinus, E. hydruntinus or a zebra.

Hippidions were equids with very distinctive anatomical features. They lived in South America 2.5 million years ago (Ma) until their extinction approximately 10 000 years ago. The evolutionary origin of the three known Hippidion morphospecies is still disputed. Based on palaeontological data, Hippidion could have diverged from the lineage leading to modern equids before 10 Ma. In contrast, a much later divergence date, with Hippidion nesting within modern equids, was indicated by partial ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences. Here, we characterized eight Hippidion complete mitochondrial genomes at 3.4-386.3-fold coverage using target-enrichment capture and next-generation sequencing. Our dataset reveals that the two morphospecies sequenced (H. saldiasi and H. principale) formed a monophyletic clade, basal to extant and extinct Equus lineages. This contrasts with previous genetic analyses and supports Hippidion as a distinct genus, in agreement with palaeontological models. We date the...

Hippidions were equids with very distinctive anatomical features. They lived in South America 2.5 million years ago (Ma) until their extinction approximately 10 000 years ago. The evolutionary origin of the three known Hippidion morphospecies is still disputed. Based on palaeontological data, Hippidion could have diverged from the lineage leading to modern equids before 10 Ma. In contrast, a much later divergence date, with Hippidion nesting within modern equids, was indicated by partial ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences. Here, we characterized eight Hippidion complete mitochondrial genomes at 3.4-386.3-fold coverage using target-enrichment capture and next-generation sequencing. Our dataset reveals that the two morphospecies sequenced (H. saldiasi and H. principale) formed a monophyletic clade, basal to extant and extinct Equus lineages. This contrasts with previous genetic analyses and supports Hippidion as a distinct genus, in agreement with palaeontological models. We date the...

African horse sickness is a vector-transmitted viral disease that affects equidae. The authors report cases of disease that occurred in Namibia between 2006 and 2008. These were recorded by staff of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale' and the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek. All cases described were confirmed by laboratory testing. This study received the support of Namibian state and private veterinarians and horse breeders.

African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral disease of equidae that is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Cases of the disease have been reported in North Africa where seroconversion still occurs in Morocco, in the Iberian Peninsula and areas of middle-eastern Asia. As is the case for ...

Hippidions were equids with very distinctive anatomical features. They lived in South America 2.5 million years ago (Ma) until their extinction approximately 10 000 years ago. The evolutionary origin of the three known Hippidion morphospecies is still disputed. Based on palaeontological data, Hippidion could have diverged from the lineage leading to modern equids before 10 Ma. In contrast, a much later divergence date, with Hippidion nesting within modern equids, was indicated by partial ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences. Here, we characterized eight Hippidion complete mitochondrial genomes at 3.4-386.3-fold coverage using target-enrichment capture and next-generation sequencing. Our dataset reveals that the two morphospecies sequenced (H. saldiasi and H. principale) formed a monophyletic clade, basal to extant and extinct Equus lineages. This contrasts with previous genetic analyses and supports Hippidion as a distinct genus, in agreement with palaeontological models. We date the...