Mexican and German researchers have learned that the black coat evolved into a much more prevalent color when climate change pushed horses in Europe into forests full of predators (both human and animal) 11,000 years ago. | Photo: iStock

Are you a fan of black horses? You should be! Mexican and German researchers have learned that the black coat evolved into a much more prevalent color when climate change pushed horses in Europe into forests full of predators (both human and animal) 11,000 years ago, possibly helping them survive when other species died out.

“Forest cover was increasing as one result of climate change, and horses had to struggle with their new environment,” said Arne Ludwig, PhD, of the Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and the Research Group for Evolutionary Genetics, in Berlin, Germany. “One way to do that was to change their coat coloration from bay to black. That appears to have helped them avoid predators through better camouflage.”

When the climate shifted during the late Pleistocene, nearly three-fourths of all large mammals (greater than 44 kilograms, or 90 pounds, in weight) disappeared worldwide, Ludwig said. Global warming changed plant life and caused forest growth. Many animals lost their homes on the steppes and in the plains; some were unable to adapt to different kinds of food. In Europe, those that could adapt had to move into the forests, where predators like wolves and humans could hide more easily before their attacks