From the Faroe Pony to the Spanish Mustang, fewer animals have played such a central role in human history as the horse. New research published online on January 21, 2014 in an open-access article in Animal Genetics reveals that a horse's gait, an attribute central to its importance to humans, is influenced by a genetic mutation, spread by humans across the world. The research team, led by Dr. Leif Andersson from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, explored the distribution of a mutation in the DMRT3 gene which affects the gait of horses, known as the 'gait keeper’ mutation. "All over the world, horses have been used for everyday transportation, in military settings, cattle herding, and agricultural power, pulling carriages and carts, pleasure riding, or racing," said Dr. Andersson. "Over the centuries, horse populations and breeds have been shaped by humans based on the different purposes for which the animals were used." The DMRT3 gene is central to the utility of horses to humans, as it controls a range of gaits as well as pace. From racing to pleasure riding, many species have been bred to encourage smoothness of gait. "For example, the Paso Fino (image) is a breed from Latin America in which the frequency of the 'gait keeper' mutation is nearly 100%. It is claimed that the Paso Fino is so smooth that you can have a glass of wine in your hand without letting it spill," said Dr. Andersson. The team analyzed 4,396 horses from 141 breeds around the world and found that the 'gait keeper' mutation is spread across Eurasia from Japan in the East, to the British Isles in West, on Iceland, in both South and North America, and also in breeds from South Africa.
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