Equus ovodovi

Equus ovodovi is an extinct species of equine known from the late Middle Pleistocene to the mid-late Holocene of North and East Asia. It was slightly larger than the Asiatic wild ass, with robust limb bones; one individual from Proskurjakov cave is estimated at about 196.5 kilograms. It was formerly confused with the European wild ass but differs in its skull and teeth. Genetic work shows it was more closely related to zebras and asses than to horses, and it has been suggested to be the last survivor of the subgenus Sussemionus, which first appeared in North America over 2 million years ago. The oldest remains come from near Novosibirsk in southern Siberia, about 300,000 to 200,000 years old, and the youngest from Mongolia and northern China, about 3,900 and 3,400 years old. Isotope studies of Holocene specimens from China suggest a preference for C4 plants.