Asinus

{{Short description|Subgenus of mammals}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| name = Asinus

| image = Equus hemionus kulan.JPG

| image_caption = Turkmenian kulan (Equus hemionus kulan)

| taxon = Equus (Asinus)

| authority = Gray, 1824

| type_species = Equus hemionus

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = Equus africanus

Equus asinus

Equus hemionus

Equus kiang

{{extinct}}Equus hydruntinus

| range_map = Wild asses range.png

| range_map_caption = Range of the three living wild ass species

}}

Asinus is a subgenus of Equus that encompasses several subspecies of the Equidae commonly known as wild asses, characterized by long ears, a lean, straight-backed build, lack of a true withers, a coarse mane and tail, and a reputation for considerable toughness and endurance.

The common donkey is the best-known domesticated representative of the subgenus, with both domesticated and feral varieties. Among the wild ass species, several never-domesticated species live in Asia and Africa, with the extinct European wild ass species formerly inhabiting Europe.

Taxonomy

  • Genus: Equus
  • Subgenus: Asinus
  • African wild ass, Equus africanus{{cite book|title=Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference |editor=Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|year=2005|edition=3rd|chapter=Equus asinus|url=https://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=14100004}}{{cite journal|last=International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature|year=2003|title=Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia): conserved. Opinion 2027 (Case 3010).|journal=Bull. Zool. Nomencl.|volume=60|issue=1|pages=81–kksiss84|url=http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/iczn/BZNMar2003opinions.htm|format=Summary}}
  • Nubian wild ass, Equus africanus africanus
  • Somali wild ass, Equus africanus somaliensis
  • Atlas wild ass, †Equus africanus atlanticus (extinct 1st millienium AD)
  • Donkey, Equus africanus asinus
  • Onager or Asiatic wild ass, Equus hemionus
  • Mongolian wild ass or khulan, Equus hemionus hemionus
  • Indian wild ass or khur, Equus hemionus khur
  • Turkmenian kulan, Equus hemionus kulan{{cite web|url=http://www.lhnet.org/kulan/ |title=Factsheet: Kulan | Common names: Turkmen Kulan, Turkmenian Wild Ass (Horses and Asses (Perissodactyla Equidae) > Equus hemionus > Equus hemionus kulan) |access-date=2011-12-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208132337/http://www.lhnet.org/kulan/ |archive-date=2012-02-08 }}
  • Persian onager or gur, Equus hemionus onager
  • Syrian wild ass or achdari, †Equus hemionus hemippus (extinct 1927)
  • Kiang or Tibetan wild ass, Equus kiang
  • Western kiang, Equus kiang kiang
  • Eastern kiang, Equus kiang holdereri
  • Southern kiang, Equus kiang polyodon
  • Northern kiang, Equus kiang chu
  • Hydruntine or European wild ass, †Equus hydruntinus (extinct 1st millennium BC)

Cladogram based on whole nuclear genomes after Özkan et al. 2024.{{Cite journal |last=Özkan |first=Mustafa |last2=Gürün |first2=Kanat |last3=Yüncü |first3=Eren |last4=Vural |first4=Kıvılcım Başak |last5=Atağ |first5=Gözde |last6=Akbaba |first6=Ali |last7=Fidan |first7=Fatma Rabia |last8=Sağlıcan |first8=Ekin |last9=Altınışık |first9=Ezgi N. |last10=Koptekin |first10=Dilek |last11=Pawłowska |first11=Kamilla |last12=Hodder |first12=Ian |last13=Adcock |first13=Sarah E. |last14=Arbuckle |first14=Benjamin S. |last15=Steadman |first15=Sharon R. |date=July 2024 |title=The first complete genome of the extinct European wild ass ( Equus hemionus hydruntinus ) |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.17440 |journal=Molecular Ecology |language=en |volume=33 |issue=14 |doi=10.1111/mec.17440 |issn=0962-1083 |doi-access=free|hdl=11511/110286 |hdl-access=free }}{{clade|{{clade

|1=Equus africanus + Equus asinus African wild ass + domestic donkeys

|2={{clade

|1={{extinct}}Equus hydruntinus (European wild ass/hydruntine)

|2={{clade

|1={{clade

|1={{extinct}}Equus hemionus hemippus (Syrian wild ass)

|2=Equus hemionus onager (Persian onager)

}}

|2={{clade

|1=Equus hemionus hemionus (Mongolian wild ass) + Equus (hemionus) kiang (kiang)

}}}}}}}}|label1=Asinus (asses)}}

References

{{Reflist}}