Today I Learned (TIL)

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TIL that horses went extinct in North America about 10,000 years ago. They were then reintroduced to the continent by the Spanish as early as the 1550s. (www.pbs.org)

submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

They literally evolved in North America, and when they went to Eurasia across the Bering land bridge they became an invasive species to Eurasia.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

For a species to be invasive, it has to be transplanted rapidly by people into an ecosystem. Horses naturally and slowly made their own way to Eurasia and became extinct in the Americas, until they were suddenly brought back to the Americas by the Spanish ... making them invasive.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Lol no it doesn't need to be by people.

invasive species noun

Any species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native, and that has since become a nuisance through rapid spread and increase in numbers, often to the detriment of native species.

It can be by you know a land bridge like the bering land bridge that was not previously there.

Horses literally evolved in north america and are thus a native species to north america. They are not a native species to Eurasia and are thus an invasive species to eurasia.

At this point I think I'm going to say cheers.