Equinae

Equinae is a subfamily within the horse family Equidae. It comprises the modern horses, zebras, and donkeys, together with numerous extinct relatives. In most classifications, the only living genus in Equinae is Equus; many fossil genera are known from the Miocene to the Pleistocene. The subfamily is often divided into tribes or clades, including Equini, which contains the genus Equus.

Members of Equinae are adapted to cursorial grazing. They typically have elongated limbs and a single weight-bearing toe with a hoof, with reduction of the other digits. Their teeth are high-crowned (hypsodont) to cope with abrasive grasses, supporting grazing. They are herbivorous and occupy open habitats from grasslands to savannas; social organization varies among species.

Origin and distribution: The Equinae lineage arose in North America during the Miocene, with the genus Equus appearing in the late Miocene to early Pliocene. From North America, equines dispersed into Eurasia and Africa, diversifying into the modern horse, zebra, and donkey lineages. In the Americas, native equids disappeared by the end of the Pleistocene, and horses were reintroduced by Europeans in the post-Columbian era. Today, Equinae species persist across Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas in domesticated and wild forms.