The genomic history of Iberian horses since the last Ice Age

Jaime Lira Garrido, Gaétan Tressières, Lorelei Chauvey, Stéphanie Schiavinato, Laure Calvière-Tonasso, Andaine Seguin-Orlando, John Southon, Beth Shapiro, Clément Bataille, Julie Birgel, Stefanie Wagner, Naveed Khan, Xuexue Liu, José María Rodanés, Jesús V. Picazo Millán, Josep Giralt, Natàlia Alonso, Isidro Aguilera, Adriano Orsingher, Angela Trentacoste, Xavier Payà, Marta Morán, María Pilar Iborra Eres, Silvia Albizuri, Silvia Valenzuela Lamas, Imma Mestres Santandreu, Montserrat Duran Caixal, Jordi Principal, Jordi Farré Huguet, Xavier Esteve, Mireia Pedro Pasqual, Nohemi Sala, Adrián Pablos, Patricia Martín, Josep Maria Vergès, Rodrigo Portero, Pablo Arias, Roberto Ontañón Peredo, Cleia Detry, Cristina Luís, João Luís Cardoso, Aren M. Maeir, Maria J. Valente, Elena Grau, Vicent Estall i Poles, Joaquín Alfonso Llorens, Ana Miguélez González, Armelle Gardeisen, Michele Cupitò, Umberto Tecchiati, Daniel G. Bradley, Liora Kolska Horwitz, Esther Rodríguez González, Ariadna Nieto Espinet, Pere Bover, Rosa Ruiz Entrecanales, Ignasi Garcés Estallo, Joaquín Jiménez Fragoso, Sebastián Celestino and Ludovic Orlando ()
Additional contact information
Jaime Lira Garrido: Faculté de Santé
Gaétan Tressières: Faculté de Santé
Lorelei Chauvey: Faculté de Santé
Stéphanie Schiavinato: Faculté de Santé
Laure Calvière-Tonasso: Faculté de Santé
Andaine Seguin-Orlando: Faculté de Santé
John Southon: Irvine
Beth Shapiro: University of California Santa Cruz
Clément Bataille: room 342
Julie Birgel: Faculté de Santé
Stefanie Wagner: Faculté de Santé
Naveed Khan: Faculté de Santé
Xuexue Liu: Faculté de Santé
José María Rodanés: Universidad de Zaragoza
Jesús V. Picazo Millán: Universidad de Zaragoza
Josep Giralt: Museu de Lleida
Natàlia Alonso: Universitat de Lleida
Isidro Aguilera: Universidad de Zaragoza
Adriano Orsingher: s/n
Angela Trentacoste: The British School at Rome
Xavier Payà: Ajuntament de Lleida
Marta Morán: Ajuntament de Lleida
María Pilar Iborra Eres: Restauració i Investigació (IVCR+i)
Silvia Albizuri: Institut de Arqueologia (IAUB)
Silvia Valenzuela Lamas: Archaeology of Social Dynamics
Imma Mestres Santandreu: Ajuntament de Tona
Montserrat Duran Caixal: Ajuntament de Tona
Jordi Principal: Museu d’Història de Catalunya
Jordi Farré Huguet: Vilafranca del Penedès
Xavier Esteve: Generalitat de Catalunya
Mireia Pedro Pasqual: Museu de Cervera
Nohemi Sala: Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana-CENIEH
Adrián Pablos: Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana-CENIEH
Patricia Martín: Zona Educacional 4 Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3)
Josep Maria Vergès: Zona Educacional 4 Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3)
Rodrigo Portero: s/n
Pablo Arias: Santander)
Roberto Ontañón Peredo: Santander)
Cleia Detry: Universidade de Lisboa
Cristina Luís: Universidade de Lisboa
João Luís Cardoso: University of Algarve
Aren M. Maeir: Bar-Ilan University
Maria J. Valente: Universidade do Algarve
Elena Grau: Universitat de València
Vicent Estall i Poles: s/n
Joaquín Alfonso Llorens: Arqueologia i Patrimoni SLU. C/ Salvador Barri nº9
Ana Miguélez González: Independent researcher
Armelle Gardeisen: Université Paul Valéry
Michele Cupitò: Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali - Università degli Studi di Padova
Umberto Tecchiati: Dipartimento di Beni Culturali e Ambientali
Daniel G. Bradley: Trinity College Dublin
Liora Kolska Horwitz: The Hebrew University
Esther Rodríguez González: Instituto de Arqueología (IAM-CSIC)
Ariadna Nieto Espinet: Universitat de Lleida
Pere Bover: Oficina B
Rosa Ruiz Entrecanales: Ayuntamiento de Ávila. Sección de Arqueología. Palacio de los Verdugo, Calle de López Núñez nº 4
Ignasi Garcés Estallo: Institut de Arqueologia (IAUB)
Joaquín Jiménez Fragoso: Universidad de Extremadura
Sebastián Celestino: Instituto de Arqueología (IAM-CSIC)
Ludovic Orlando: Faculté de Santé

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Horses have inhabited Iberia (present-day Spain and Portugal) since the Middle Pleistocene, shaping a complex history in the region. Iberia has been proposed as a potential domestication centre and is renowned for producing world-class bloodlines. Here, we generate genome-wide sequence data from 87 ancient horse specimens (median coverage = 0.97X) from Iberia and the broader Mediterranean to reconstruct their genetic history over the last ~26,000 years. Here, we report that wild horses of the divergent IBE lineage inhabited Iberia from the Late Pleistocene, while domesticated DOM2 horses, native from the Pontic-Caspian steppes, already arrived ~1850 BCE. Admixture dating suggests breeding practices involving continued wild restocking until at least ~350 BCE, with IBE disappearing shortly after. Patterns of genetic affinity highlight the far-reaching influence of Iberian bloodlines across Europe and north Africa during the Iron Age and Antiquity, with continued impact extending thereafter, particularly during the colonization of the Americas.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62266-z

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