The microstructural features of the tissue of long bones subjected to different biomechanical stresses could be a helpful tool for a better understanding of locomotor behavior in extant and extinct mammals, including equids. However, few researches have attempted to describe the bone tissue of extinct horses. In our study, we analyze and compare the histomorphometric features of the bone tissue in extant modern horses, Equus caballus, and Equus namadicus, a Pleistocene Indian extinct wild horse. The number, position, and size of the osteons and Haversian canals of the bone tissue, classifiable as dense Haversian tissue, were considered for the comparison. The results obtained highlight some differences between the analyzed species, E. caballus having fewer and bigger osteons than E. namadicus. The microstructural differences may depend on the different lifestyles and environmental conditions characterizing the two species. The results obtained suggest that comparing the biomechanical properties of extinct and modern horse species may provide indirect information on their paleoenvironment.

中文翻译：

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对现有家养马（马属马）和更新世印度野马（马属马）的骨组织形态学的首次比较。

长骨组织受到不同生物力学应力的微观结构特征可能是有助于更好地了解现存和绝种哺乳动物（包括马类）运动行为的有用工具。但是，很少有研究试图描述绝种马的骨骼组织。在我们的研究中，我们分析和比较了骨组织中现存的现代马的组织形态学特征雅科仕caballus，和雅科仕namadicus，更新世印度灭绝的野生马。为了进行比较，考虑了可分类为致密哈弗里斯组织的骨组织的骨头和哈弗里斯管的数量，位置和大小。获得的结果突显了所分析物种E. caballus之间的某些差异与纳马肠球菌相比，骨少，骨大。微观结构的差异可能取决于这两个物种的不同生活方式和环境条件。获得的结果表明，比较灭绝和现代马种的生物力学特性可能提供有关其古环境的间接信息。