Re: Re: Amblin/Racking/what ever

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

Well it became a separate breed because it branched off a common ancestor
(and then continued to inbreed without signifcant outcrossing to the
ancestor). Either another breed branched off the same common ancestor later
(which implies they probably closer to the ancestor genetically) or the more
recent breed branched off the Arabian - but then it is still Arabian (unless
you can point to some genetic mutations in the non arab branch that clearly
distinguish it).

Accepting Heidi's information as the final word, it would be correct to
state that the Arab is the oldest (excepting the Prezewski) of pure bred non
extinct breed.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Lif Strand" <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>
>
> Well that would be the case if  "oldest breed" and "common ancestor" meant
> the same thing, which I don't believe is true.  I don't think anyone is
> suggesting that the Arabian is *the* common ancestor of every one of
> today's domesticated breeds of horses.  At least I hope no one's saying
> that!  Lif
>
>