Horses belong to the genus Equus, within the family Equidae, although the term “horses” is often used informally for several extant and extinct Equus species. The domestic horse is classified as Equus caballus (or Equus ferus caballus when treated as a subspecies of the wild horse Equus ferus). Members of Equus are large, cursorial perissodactyl mammals characterized by an odd number of toes (single functional hoof), hypsodont teeth adapted for grazing, complex social structures, and high aerobic capacity. Genomic studies of Equus focus on domestication, adaptation to diverse environments, and the evolution of locomotor and musculoskeletal specializations.
In human and animal medicine, biomarkers are used in several ways, including to diagnose, predict, or monitor health issues. Human health care consumers are familiar with biomarkers as mundane as blood pressure to gauge heart ...
Veterinary medicine
Apr 30, 2026
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April 26 marks the 40th anniversary of the explosion at Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The accident caused the largest ever release of radioactive material into the environment, and at the time ...
Ecology
Apr 24, 2026
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Relatively simple habitat management can influence population genetics, providing conservation managers with the opportunity to support genetic resilience not only through breeding programs or translocations, but also by ...
Ecology
Apr 21, 2026
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Infants' helplessness demonstrates unique social implications for human development. In a new paper developmental psychology researchers from the University of Ottawa explored human infants' helplessness as a key to human ...
Other
Mar 24, 2026
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The performance horse industry had a problem: Some of their most beloved and sought-after mares simply couldn't have foals safely. To make matters more complicated, in vitro fertilization (IVF) had not yet produced a healthy ...
Biotechnology
Mar 13, 2026
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Many of the most damaging invasions do not simply subtract species; they fundamentally remodel the environment, altering habitats, rewiring interactions, and shifting processes in ways that species lists alone cannot reveal.
Ecology
Mar 12, 2026
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In 1974, philosopher Thomas Nagel posed a deceptively simple question: "What is it like to be a bat?" His point wasn't really about bats. He was offering a provocative challenge about the limits of understanding another mind: ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 11, 2026
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Three years ago, Penn Vet researchers reported a major breakthrough in equine assisted reproduction. Katrin Hinrichs, Harry Werner Endowed Professor of Equine Medicine, and colleagues developed a technique that would allow ...
Veterinary medicine
Feb 1, 2026
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A study of wild African herbivores offers new insight into how environmental conditions—not just diet and anatomy—can influence the evolution of gut microbes that play a critical role in animal health and well-being.
Evolution
Jan 26, 2026
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Horses can smell your fear. If you are experiencing this emotion while standing near a horse, they will be able to detect it through your scent alone, which changes their behavior and physiology. That's the conclusion of ...
