Ancient DNA identifies donkey ancestors, people who domesticated them
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 15:42
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Genetic investigators say the partnership between people and the ancestors of today's donkeys was sealed not by monarchs trying to establish kingdoms, but by mobile, pastoral people who had to recruit animals to help them survive the harsh Saharan landscape in northern Africa more than 5,000 years ago.