Abstract
The stories in science are constantly evolving as new information comes to light. Without wanting to appear revisionist, we have rewritten the narrative around the equids, a suite of splendid species. Rather than an evolutionary has been, a dead end if you like, relative to the ruminants/Pecora, they demonstrate a plethora of adaptations to the niches they fill. In fact, they have different adaptations to those exhibited by other members of the large herbivore guild. Be that the way they deal with forages, parasites, predators, or cold, hot, and arid environments. Equid species, today, are found in many of the most challenging conditions from the heat of the tropics to the cold/aridity of the arctic. Even the modern domestic horse demonstrates the adaptability of the Bauplan to a range of circumstances. However, not all is rosy for the equids. The modern horse excepted; their future lies not in the degeneration of an ancient lineage but in humanity’s degenerate custodianship of the planet.
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Gordon, I.J., Prins, H.H.T. (2023). Conclusion: A New Story of the Modern Equids. In: Prins, H.H.T., Gordon, I.J. (eds) The Equids. Fascinating Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27144-1_15
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