Part donkey, part wild ass, the kunga is the oldest known hybrid bred by humans: The mysterious equines were bred in Syria 4,500 years ago, likely for use in warfare

Science News ^ | January 14, 2022 | Glenn Schwartz / Johns Hopkins University

[SunkenCiv]

Meet the kunga, the earliest known hybrid animal bred by people. The ancient equine from Syro-Mesopotamia existed around 4,500 years ago and was a cross between a donkey and a hemippe, a type of Asiatic wild ass, researchers report January 14 in Science Advances.

Horses didn’t appear in this region of Asia until 4,000 years ago, centuries after their domestication in Russia (SN: 10/20/21). But dozens of equine skeletons were excavated in the early 2000s from a royal burial complex dating back to 2600 B.C. at Umm el-Marra in northern Syria. The animals, whose physical features didn’t match any known equine species, appear to be “kungas” — horselike animals seen in artwork and referenced in clay tablets predating horses by centuries...

Geigl and her colleagues analyzed a kunga’s genome, or genetic instruction book, and compared it with those of horses, donkeys and Asiatic wild asses, including the hemippe (Equus hemionus hemippus), which has been extinct since 1929. The kunga’s mother was a donkey and its father a hemippe, making it the oldest evidence of humans creating hybrid animals. A mule from 1000 B.C. in Anatolia reported by the same research group in 2020 is the next oldest hybrid.

Geigl thinks kungas were created for warfare, as they could pull wagons. Coaxing donkeys into dangerous situations is hard, she says, and no Asiatic wild ass can be tamed. But a hybrid might have had the characteristics people sought.

Coauthor E. Andrew Bennett, a paleogeneticist now at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, likens kungas to “bioengineered war machines.” But with the riddle of how kungas were made being solved a century after the last hemippe perished, “it’s impossible to make these animals again.”

[SunkenCiv]

This mosaic scene on a Sumerian artifact, a wooden box dubbed the Standard of Ur that depicts war scenes, includes images of hybrid kungas pulling wagons.

Agefotostock/Alamy Stock Photo

[SunkenCiv]

[lee martell]

Literally a ‘Wild Ass Donkey”.

[SunkenCiv]

Good band name!

[algore]

Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house,

thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife,
nor his man seruant,
nor his maid seruant,
nor his oxe,
nor his asse.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Sounds like our members of Congress.

[Mr Radical]

a paleogeneticist now at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, likens kungas to “bioengineered war machines"
that's one thing the Chicoms know all about!

[nikos1121]

There was a young maid from Madras
Who a magnificent ass.
Not rounded and pink
As you’d probably think.
It was gray, had long ears
And ate grass.

[Sacajaweau]

"THINKS Kungas were created to"

Another magnificent guess...Apparently mosaics are simply flash cards.

Grant Money is forever.

[bleach]

I like the human speed control device.

[BobL]

“Part donkey, part wild ass...”

Wasn’t there an Elliot Spitzer article this morning?

[Deplorable American1776]

Part donkey, part wild ass, 100% Democrat... 🤓

[SunkenCiv]

That would be “all donkey, all wild ass”. ;^)

[Texan5]

“Wild Ass Donkey”-a neighbor who lives up the road keeps 2 of those as pets-and guards for his 4 goats and flock of chickens-they both love my neighbor and eat out of his hand-no other human can get within 10 feet of them without being charged by a braying, kicking, dangerous donkey-they go after the local farrier every time he is there to do a hoof trim, etc-they are very, very effective watch animals...

The list of predators that frequently come onto our properties includes mountain lions, coyotes, feral hogs-and now-black bears-but the last animal-caused human death in this county-about 6 years ago- was not caused by any of those-but by a watch donkey that kicked to death a guy who tresspassed over a fence and went to a barn, probably looking to steal stuff-definitely a wild ass donkey...

[lee martell]

Donkeys aren’t necessarily Show Animals, capable of learning to dance, prance and dip at an Equestrian’s command, but should not be underestimated.

[Texan5]

Donkeys are very popular out here-lots of people have the miniature ones as pets-but even those little cute ones are not usually nice to anyone but their owners-and they can shove a person down and kick them just like a regular sized donkey-I was raised around horses and enjoy riding and interacting with them-but I do not care to interact with donkeys-have a healthy respect for them but that is it...