Zebras in the context of "Equus (genus)"

Play Trivia Questions online!

or

Skip to study material about Zebras in the context of "Equus (genus)"

Ad spacer

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<

👉 Zebras in the context of Equus (genus)

Equus (/ˈɛkwəs, ˈkwəs/) is a genus of mammals in the perissodactyl 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 originated in North America and dispersed into the Old World and South America during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. Equines are odd-toed ungulates with slender legs, long heads, relatively long necks, manes (erect in most subspecies), and long tails. All species are herbivorous, and mostly grazers, with simpler digestive systems than ruminants but able to subsist on lower-quality vegetation.

While the domestic horse and donkey (along with their feral descendants) exist worldwide, wild equine populations are limited to Africa and Asia. Wild equine social systems are in two forms; a harem system with tight-knit groups consisting of one adult male or stallion/jackass, several females or mares/jennets, and their young or foals; and a territorial system where males establish territories with resources that attract females, which associate very fluidly. In both systems, females take care of their offspring, but males may play a role as well. Equines communicate with each other both visually and vocally. Human activities have threatened wild equine populations.

↓ Explore More Topics
In this Dossier

Zebras in the context of Boreoeutheria

Boreoeutheria (/bˌrjˈθɛriə/) is a magnorder of placental mammals that groups together superorders Euarchontoglires and Laurasiatheria. The clade includes groups as diverse as giraffes, pigs, zebras, rhinoceroses, dogs, cats, rabbits, mice, bats, whales, dolphins, and primates (monkeys, apes, and humans).

With a few exceptions, male boreoeutherians have a scrotum, an ancestral feature of the clade. The sub-clade Scrotifera was named after this feature.

↑ Return to Menu