The Curious Case Of The Horses Who “Hibernate”
The Yakut horses of northern Siberia may provide lessons in how animal populations can respond to environmental extremes.
These days, when many of us protect our horses from winter chill with blankets and cozy stalls, consider the diminutive Yakut horses of Siberia. Researchers say that this hardy breed not only has the capacity to achieve a physical state akin to hibernation during periods of extreme cold, but it developed this adaptation with surprising swiftness.
Horses in the Siberia can survive temperatures as low as -70 degrees Celsius. (Adobe Stock)
The Yakutia region of the Russian Federation, also known as the Sakha Republic, is one of the coldest inhabited places on earth. Temperatures of -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit) are common during the winter. In the portion of Yakutia above the Arctic Circle, temperatures may go as low as -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit). Nonetheless, horses and humans continue to live and thrive in the region. Today Yakut horses are ridden, pull sleds and serve as sources of milk and meat—as they have for centuries.
The research
An international group of researchers headed by Ludovic Orlando, PhD, of the Centre for GeoGenetics at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, investigated the origins of the Yakut horses and the qualities that enable them to survive and thrive in their inhospitable environment.
Although archaeological evidence suggests horses were present in the region 5,200 years ago, the researchers used DNA analysis to determine that modern Yakut horses descend from those brought by people who migrated to northern Siberia during the 13th and 15th centuries.
