Nubian wild ass

Last updated

Nubian wild ass [1]
Nubian Wild Ass.jpg
Nubian wild ass at Berlin Zoo, 1899.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Genus: Equus
Species:
E. africanus
Subspecies:
E. a. africanus
Trinomial name
Equus africanus africanus
Synonyms
  • Equus africanus dianae
    (Dollman, 1935)
  • Equus asinus africanus
    (Grubb, 2005)

The Nubian wild ass (Equus africanus africanus) is the nominate subspecies of African wild ass, and one of the ancestors of the domestic donkey, which was domesticated about 6,000 years ago. [3] [4] It is presumed to be extinct, though two populations potentially survive on the Caribbean island of Bonaire and in Gebel Elba.

Contents

Description

According to Groves & Chubb, Nubian wild asses had longer ears than the Somali wild ass, ranging from 182-245mm in length. [5] These animals also possessed the "cross-pattern" famous in domestic donkeys but absent in the Somali subspecies, and lacked the "zebra-stripe-pattern" on the legs as found in Somali specimens. [6]

Habitat and distribution

Nubian wild asses lived in the Nubian Desert of northeastern Sudan, from east of the Nile River to the Red Sea and south to the Atbarah River and northern Eritrea. [1]

Extinction and potential survival

Possible Nubian wild asses on Bonaire. Bonaire's Critically-Endangered Nubian Wild Ass.jpg
Possible Nubian wild asses on Bonaire.

The Nubian wild ass has not been seen since the 1950s-70s and is presumed extinct. [7] The last sighting of wild asses in the animal's native range were in the 1970s, in Eritrea's Barka Valley and the border between Eritrea and Sudan, during aerial flights. [1] Similar to the decline of the Somali wild ass, the Nubian wild ass's extinction can largely be attributed to hunting, competition with livestock for limited desert resources, and hybridization with the Domestic donkey. [3]

In 2014–2015, a mitochondrial DNA analysis was conducted on a population of feral donkeys on the Caribbean island of Bonaire. The study included DNA samples from the Bonaire animals, museum specimens of Nubian wild asses, sequences from four Somali wild asses, and a sequence from one Domestic donkey, used as a control. The results found that the Bonaire animals were very close to known pure Nubian wild asses and very different from other asses. However, research published in 2010 found that modern donkeys are descended from two lineages of wild ass, one being Nubian and the other being of unknown ancestry. [8] This being the case, the fact that only one donkey was used in the test suggests that the findings are rather inconclusive. For more conclusive results to be found, more testing must be completed with a larger group of donkeys. Additionally, the analysis was a result of an outcry over the government of Bonaire planning a cull of the feral animals, leading to the possibility of the results being slightly biased towards shutting down the cull. [9]

The Gebel Elba National Park, near the border of Egypt and Sudan, is claimed to be home to a wild population of Nubian wild asses. However, the purity of the animals in question has yet to be studied.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equidae</span> Family of hoofed mammals

Equidae is the taxonomic family of horses and related animals, including the extant horses, asses, and zebras, and many other species known only from fossils. The family evolved around 50 million years ago from a small, multi-toed ungulate into larger, single-toed animals. All extant species are in the genus Equus, which originated in North America. Equidae belongs to the order Perissodactyla, which includes the extant tapirs and rhinoceros, and several extinct families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donkey</span> Domesticated animal used for transportation

The donkey is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, Equus africanus, and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, Equus africanus asinus, or as a separate species, Equus asinus. It was domesticated in Africa some 5000–7000 years ago, and has been used mainly as a working animal since that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onager</span> Species of mammal

The onager, also known as hemione or Asiatic wild ass, is a species of the family Equidae native to Asia. A member of the subgenus Asinus, the onager was described and given its binomial name by German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in 1775. Six subspecies have been recognized, two of which are extinct.

<i>Equus</i> (genus) Genus of mammals which includes horses, donkeys, and zebras

Equus is a genus of mammals in the family Equidae, which includes horses, asses, and zebras. Within the Equidae, Equus is the only recognized extant genus, comprising seven living species. Like Equidae more broadly, Equus has numerous extinct species known only from fossils. The genus most likely originated in North America and spread quickly to the Old World. Equines are odd-toed ungulates with slender legs, long heads, relatively long necks, manes, and long tails. All species are herbivorous, and mostly grazers, with simpler digestive systems than ruminants but able to subsist on lower-quality vegetation.

<i>Capra</i> (genus) Genus of mammals, the goats

Capra is a genus of mammals, the goats, comprising ten species, including the markhor and several species known as ibexes. The domestic goat is a domesticated species derived from the wild goat. Evidence of goat domestication dates back more than 8,500 years.

The wild asses (Asinus) are a subgenus of single toed grazing ungulates. Its species are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yangudi Rassa National Park</span> National park in Ethiopia

Yangudi Rassa National Park is a national park in Ethiopia located in Afar Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African wild ass</span> Species of wild ass

The African wild ass or African wild donkey is a wild member of the horse family, Equidae. This species is thought to be the ancestor of the domestic donkey, which is sometimes placed within the same species. They live in the deserts and other arid areas of the Horn of Africa, in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. It formerly had a wider range north and west into Sudan, Egypt, and Libya. It is Critically Endangered, with about 570 existing in the wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali wild ass</span> Subspecies of African wild ass

The Somali wild ass is a subspecies of the African wild ass.

<i>Asinus</i> Subgenus of mammals

Asinus is a subgenus of Equus that encompasses several subspecies of the Equidae commonly known as wild asses, characterized by long ears, a lean, straight-backed build, lack of a true withers, a coarse mane and tail, and a reputation for considerable toughness and endurance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve</span> Nature reserve in Israel

The Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve is a 3,000-acre (12 km2) breeding and reacclimation center administered by the Israel Nature Reserves & National Parks Authority, situated in the Southern Arava near Yotvata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrian wild ass</span> Extinct subspecies of onager

The Syrian wild ass, less commonly known as a hemippe, an achdari, or a Mesopotamian or Syrian onager, is an extinct subspecies of onager native to the Arabian peninsula and surrounding areas. It ranged across present-day Iraq, Palestine, Israel, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlas wild ass</span>

The Atlas wild ass, also known as Algerian wild ass, is a purported extinct subspecies of the African wild ass that was once found across North Africa and parts of the Sahara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feral donkeys in Australia</span>

Feral donkeys were first brought to Australia as pack animals to replace horses, which had succumbed to native poisonous plants. Now numbering 5 million, they have been declared a pest, owing to their damage to vegetation and erosion of soil. Culling is mainly carried out by marksmen in helicopters, and experiments are being made in fertility control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Djibouti Xeric Shrublands</span> Ecoregion in northeastern Africa

The Djibouti Xeric Shrublands ecoregion is a semi-desert strip on or near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden coasts in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia. This ecoregion lies mainly between sea level and 800 meters (m) elevation. There are, however, many hills and massifs, which range up to 1300 m as well as outstanding fault-induced depressions, such as the Danakil, lying as low as 155 m below sea level. This region is extremely active tectonically, experiencing many earthquakes and intermittently active volcanoes. Rainfall is very low and yearly averages range from 100 to 200 millimeters (mm), with less rain falling closer to the coast. There are many species of interest, including the endemic Archer's lark, a species of dragon tree, and a large suite of desert ungulates, including the last viable population of African wild ass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeast African cheetah</span> Subspecies of carnivore

The Northeast African cheetah is a cheetah subspecies occurring in Northeast Africa. Contemporary records are known in South Sudan and Ethiopia, but population status in Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan is unknown.

Mille-Serdo Wildlife Reserve is a protected area in Ethiopia. It is located in Afar Region of Ethiopia. The reserve protects a portion of the Awash River and the surrounding desert.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Moehlman, P.D.; Kebede, F. & Yohannes, H. (2015). "Equus africanus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015. IUCN: e.T7949A45170994. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T7949A45170994.en .
  2. ↑ (in German) Heuglin Th. v & Fitzinger L. J. (1866). "Systematische Übersicht der Säugethiere Nordost-Afrika’s mit Einschluß der arabischen Küste, des rothen Meeres, der Somáli- und der Nilquellen-Länder, südwärts bis zum vierten Grade nördlicher Breite. Von Dr Theodor v. Heuglin. Nach brieflichen Mittheilungen und den Original-Exemplaren des Herrn Verfassers ergänzt und mit Zusätzen versehen von dem w. M. Dr Leopold Joseph Fitzinger". Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Abt. 1. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse 54: 537-611.
  3. 1 2 "EDGE of Existence". EDGE of Existence. Archived from the original on 2016-12-25. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  4. ↑ Wynne Parry, Wynne (July 29, 2010). "Donkey's Wild Ass Ancestor Confirmed". Live Science . Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Nubain Wild Ass in Zoos?". ZooChat. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  6. ↑ van Bemmel, A. C. V (1972). "Some remarks on the African wild ass". Zoologische Mededelingen. 47 (21): 261–272.
  7. ↑ Briggs, Philip (2011-12-19). Somaliland: With Addis Ababa & Eastern Ethiopia. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN   9781841623719.
  8. ↑ Kimura, Birgitta; Marshall, Fiona B.; Chen, Shanyuan; Rosenbom, Sónia; Moehlman, Patricia D.; Tuross, Noreen; Sabin, Richard C.; Peters, Joris; Barich, Barbara; Yohannes, Hagos; Kebede, Fanuel; Teclai, Redae; Beja-Pereira, Albano; Mulligan, Connie J. (7 January 2011). "Ancient DNA from Nubian and Somali wild ass provides insights into donkey ancestry and domestication". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 278 (1702): 50–57. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.0708. PMC   2992715 . PMID   20667880.
  9. ↑ "Are the Bonaire donkeys the last wild Nubian asses?". Natural History. 2015-02-26. Archived from the original on 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.