Thanks to a recent scientific discovery, the story of the wild ponies on Assateague Island may finally be solved.
The island is a barrier that spans the borders of Maryland and Virginia and is famous for its wild ponies. The small horses are hanging out throughout the course of the day. The four legged inhabitants are able to interact with guests at the unique vacation spot on the beach.
The ponies aren't native to that beach. They're not wild horses and have bitten people. The Chincoteague Wild refuge is located on Virginia's part of the island.
People have pondered over how they ended up there. The horses on the wrecked ship swam to the shore, according to local legend. There hasn't been any evidence that this could be the case, until now.
The scientist in Florida may have accidentally discovered a connection to the horses and their genes.
Nicholas Delsol, an Archeologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History, decided to look into a tooth that had been in the museum since the 1980's. After running some tests and analyzing data, it was found to be a horse tooth.
Chincoteague Ponies were the closest relative to the most closely related animals. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, there were no cows in the Americas.
The tooth was found in an archaeological site that was once occupied by Spanish colonizers.
The Chincoteague ponies are very close to colonial horses from the Caribbean Spanish colonies.
This finding may give credence to the local legend of a sunken ship. It would be helpful in helping other areas of research.
"We're studying animal bones, but we were also using the study of animal bones to document human behavior in the past in human cultures, being convinced that it will help us understand the role played by horses and potentially other animals in the colonial Spanish society."
The story was adapted for the internet.
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