Back-of-ear barcode sorts the donkey from the zebras

Everyone knows that the donkey (Equus asinus) has large ear pinnae (https://www.dreamstime.com/beautiful-healthy-young-donkey-head-shot-closeup-outdoors-nature-under-blue-sky-summertime-image177482516 and https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-portrait-donkey-young-image33561705 and https://www.dreamstime.com/closeup-shot-donkey-s-ears-image162450034).

Some may also know that the posterior surface of the ear pinna has a clear pattern in many individuals with otherwise relatively plain colouration (https://www.dreamstime.com/donkey-green-background-donkey-image104711551 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-gray-donkey-stall-photo-image57329235 and https://www.dreamstime.com/donkey-farm-closeup-details-osio-sopra-lombardy-italy-image207081626 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-donkey-face-green-summer-pasture-ears-back-image42747898 and https://www.dreamstime.com/close-up-donkey-ears-zoo-mammal-animal-image193227750 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-donkey-jackass-gray-animal-mammal-green-field-pasture-meadow-country-farm-image96520464 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-donkey-cage-farm-image82243350 and https://www.dreamstime.com/portrait-cute-baby-donkey-brown-ears-grey-fur-long-image122599750 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-portrait-donkey-green-field-image50275360 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-grazing-donkey-rural-grassland-spring-image49315026 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-two-brown-donkeys-face-to-face-head-touching-head-seems-to-show-love-affection-thailand-image70709424 and https://www.dreamstime.com/donkey-outdoors-nature-under-blue-sky-summertime-beautiful-healthy-young-donkey-head-shot-closeup-image177481641).

But who knows how this pattern relates to the corresponding 'barcodes' seen in zebras?

Was the (extinct) wild ancestor of the donkey essentially just a relatively stripeless relative of zebras, in which the markings have been most persistent on the ears?

What the following comparisons show is that the pattern in the donkey is different from that in any species of zebra.

Although the patterns vary among the species and subspecies of zebras, the ear-tip, as seen from behind, is always whitish in zebras. By contrast, it is dark in the donkey (see https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-mother-baby-donkey-touching-image56673141 and https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-donkey-farm-looking-to-camera-image35894929).

Furthermore, whereas there is only one broad dark feature in the case of zebras, there tend to be two in the donkey, one of which includes the ear-tip and the other of which is close to the base of the ear pinna (see https://www.dreamstime.com/head-view-grey-donkey-colorful-leaves-ground-head-view-grey-donkey-colorful-leaves-ground-image122994822 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-donkey-foal-sweet-resting-green-grass-image37424141 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-donkey-paddock-grey-image77428659).

The following compare Equus hartmannae with the donkey:

https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-grazing-zebra-image10344857 and https://www.dreamstime.com/hartmann-s-mountain-zebra-close-up-picture-image120447528 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-zebra-close-up-balck-white-image57223001 vs https://www.dreamstime.com/vertical-shot-donkey-outdoors-daylight-image213996791 and https://www.dreamstime.com/gray-donkey-farm-domestic-image122639149

https://www.dreamstime.com/zebra-head-close-up-rear-top-view-zebra-close-up-zebra-head-zoo-wild-image197451943 vs https://www.dreamstime.com/head-grey-donkey-side-view-inside-barn-head-grey-donkey-side-view-inside-barn-zoo-image122994594 and https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-donkey-head-shot-image29428039

The following compare Equus grevyi with the donkey:

https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/kenya-samburu-grevys-zebra-portrait-royalty-free-image/91515202?adppopup=true and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-zebra-grevy-s-close-up-thorn-tree-image52490044 and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/zebra-head-shot-royalty-free-image/1266843816?adppopup=true and https://www.dreamstime.com/close-up-imperial-zebra-as-rests-green-grass-zebra-head-shot-image193753856 and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/close-up-of-zebra-on-field-royalty-free-image/1330973893?adppopup=true and https://www.dreamstime.com/black-white-zebra-portrait-close-up-blurred-background-portrait-zebra-hippotigris-close-up-image151442462 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-zebra-fom-front-image7527262 vs https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-little-girl-feeding-donkey-image75810712 and https://www.dreamstime.com/friendly-brown-young-donkey-outdoors-friendly-brown-young-donkey-outdoors-farm-image131172806 and https://www.dreamstime.com/span-tethered-donkey-near-alora-malaga-province-andalucia-spain-europe-image175706513

The following compare Equus quagga boehmi with the donkey:

https://www.dreamstime.com/zebra-close-up-various-blurry-zebras-background-image150063111 and https://www.dreamstime.com/zebra-close-up-various-blurry-zebras-background-image150062978 vs https://www.dreamstime.com/donkey-face-closeup-farm-portrait-image148765680 and https://www.dreamstime.com/donkey-public-park-autumn-season-image129548516 and https://www.dreamstime.com/beautiful-brown-young-donkey-outdoors-farm-image131173076

The following compare Equus quagga chapmani with the donkey:

https://www.dreamstime.com/zebras-funny-hairstyle-ears-close-up-back-view-zebras-funny-hairstyle-ears-close-up-striped-animals-look-distance-back-image225542588 vs https://www.dreamstime.com/beautiful-ears-back-donkey-head-close-up-withers-image229151249

https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-zebra-image7304859 vs https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-young-donkey-looks-to-camera-image68488110 and https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-brown-gray-donkey-walks-paddock-outdoors-image50649391 and https://www.dreamstime.com/donkey-public-park-autumn-season-image129548205

The following compare the Somali wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis) with the donkey:

https://www.dreamstime.com/sleepy-little-wild-burro-resting-gravel-old-western-town-oatman-arizona-cutie-pie-wildlife-donkeys-wild-burros-image199715189 vs https://www.dreamstime.com/donkey-foal-lying-sand-donkey-foal-lying-sand-little-horse-baby-image116826914.

https://www.shutterstock.com/nb/image-photo/somali-wild-ass-mother-her-foal-150267275

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-somali-wild-ass-image26192561

https://www.dreamstime.com/somalian-wild-donkey-equus-asinus-somalicus-nature-portrait-somalian-wild-donkey-equus-asinus-somalicus-nature-image151236252

https://www.dreamstime.com/somalian-wild-donkey-equus-asinus-somalicus-eating-grass-nature-portrait-image151236779

Posted on September 16, 2021 01:22 AM by milewski milewski

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