Equus quagga quagga (Quagga)

[Sebbe]

I visited the Swedish Museum of Natural History today and they keep a small collection of extinct animals on display. Amongst them is the famous Quagga foetus (one of only two in existence I believe) acquired by A. Sparrman in 1775.

There seems to be few photographs of this specimen around but as you can see it is unfortunately very poorly displayed.


how to print screen on pc

[surroundx]

Heywood, Peter. (2015). The micro-politics of macromolecules in the taxonomy and restoration of Quaggas. Kronos 41(1): 314-337.

[surroundx]

Original description: www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/89677#page/206/mode/1up

[Melanie]

Bone idol: museum's quagga skeleton restored with 3D-printed leg

London’s Grant Museum of Zoology has completed work on its rare but neglected quagga skeleton – missing a leg and mistaken for a zebra for years


www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/27/grant-museums-quagga-skeleton-restored-with-3d-printed-leg

[surroundx]

Larkin, Nigel R. and Porro, Laura B. (In Press, 2016). Three legs good, four legs better: making a quagga whole again with 3D printing. Collection Forum. doi: dx.doi.org/10.14351/2015.08.15 [Abstract]

[Melanie]

The Rarest Skeleton in the World?

blogs.ucl.ac.uk/museums/2011/03/07/the-rarest-skeleton-in-the-world/

[surroundx]

Morton, E. O. (1821). A communication of a singular fact in natural history. Philos Trans R Soc London 111: 20-22.

[surroundx]

twilightbeasts.wordpress.com/2015/08/24/seeking-redemption/

[surroundx]

Dollmann, J. Guy. (1937). Mammals which have recently become extinct and those on the verge of extinction. J. Soc. Preserv. Fauna Empire n. s. 30: 67-74.

[Sebbe]

Impacts of taxonomic inertia for the conservation of African ungulate diversity: an overview

We review the state of African ungulate taxonomy over the last 120 years, with an emphasis on the introduction of the polytypic species concept and the discipline's general neglect since the middle of the 20th century. We single out negative consequences of 'orthodox' taxonomy, highlighting numerous cases of neglect of threatened lineages, unsound translocations that led to lineage introgression, and cases of maladaptation to local conditions including parasitic infections. Additionally, several captive breeding programmes have been hampered by chromosome rearrangements caused by involuntary lineage mixing. We advocate that specimen-based taxonomy should regain its keystone role in mammal research and conservation biology, with its scientific values augmented with genomic evidence. While integration with molecular biology, ecology and behaviour is needed for a full understanding of ungulate alpha diversity, we stress that morphological diversity has been neglected despite its tremendous practical importance for some groups of 'utilizers' such as trophy hunters, wildlife tourists and conservationists. We conclude that there is no evidence that purported 'taxonomic inflation' has adverse effects on ungulate conservation: rather, it is taxonomic inertia that has such adverse effects. We stress that sound science, founded on robust taxonomy, should underpin effective sustainable management (hunting, ranching, captive breeding and reintroduction programmes) of this unique African natural resource.

Available from: www.researchgate.net/publication/316365324_Impacts_of_taxonomic_inertia_for_the_conservation_of_African_ungulate_diversity_an_overview [accessed May 12, 2017].

[surroundx]

Tegetmeier, N. B. and Sutherland, C. L. (1895). Horses, Asses, Zebras, Mules and Mule Breeding. London: Horace Cox.

[surroundx]

Renshaw, Graham. (1904). Natural History Essays. London: Sherratt & Hughes. [pp. 169-197]

[Melanie]

A closer genetic look at the quagga, an extinct zebra

www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/01/26/closer-genetic-look-quagga-extinct-zebra/

[Melanie]

A southern African origin and cryptic structure in the highly mobile plains zebra

Casper-Emil T. Pedersen, Anders Albrechtsen, Paul D. Etter, Eric A. Johnson, Ludovic Orlando, Lounes Chikhi, Hans R. Siegismund & Rasmus Heller

Abstract

The plains zebra (Equus quagga) is an ecologically important species of the African savannah. It is also one of the most numerous and widely distributed ungulates, and six subspecies have been described based on morphological variation. However, the within-species evolutionary processes have been difficult to resolve due to its high mobility and a lack of consensus regarding the population structure. We obtained genome-wide DNA polymorphism data from more than 167,000 loci for 59 plains zebras from across the species range, encompassing all recognized extant subspecies, as well as three mountain zebras (Equus zebra) and three Grevy’s zebras (Equus grevyi). Surprisingly, the population genetic structure does not mirror the morphology-based subspecies delineation, underlining the dangers of basing management units exclusively on morphological variation. We use demographic modelling to provide insights into the past phylogeography of the species. The results identify a southern African location as the most likely source region from which all extant populations expanded around 370,000 years ago. We show evidence for inclusion of the extinct and phenotypically divergent quagga (Equus quaggaquagga) in the plains zebra variation and reveal that it was less divergent from the other subspecies than the northernmost (Ugandan) extant population.

www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0453-7

[surroundx]

van Bruggen, A. C. (1959). Illustrated notes on some extinct South African ungulates. South African Journal of Science 55: 197-200.

[surroundx]

Heywood, P. and Dietrich, K. H. (2021). A quagga photographed in Africa (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Equidae). Spixiana 44 (2): 209-211.

[surroundx]

Schlawe, Lothar and Wozniak, Wolfgang. (2010). Über die ausgerotteten Steppenzebras von Südafrika QUAGGA und DAUW, Equus quagga quagga. Zeitschrift des Kölner Zoos 2: 97-128. (in German)

[simontonge]

Please find below a link to a short blog article about the possible Quagga hoof held at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, Uk

rammcollections.org.uk/2022/01/19/quagga-hoof/

[Melanie]

Mar 28, 2022 18:24:37 GMT simontonge said:

Please find below a link to a short blog article about the possible Quagga hoof held at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, Uk

rammcollections.org.uk/2022/01/19/quagga-hoof/

Hi Simon,

thanks for sharing this story with us. Great work.

[simontonge]

Thanks, Melanie. It's written probably a bit simplistically for readers of this blog, but it was intended for a less knowledgeable audience!