Equus capensis
Extinct species of zebra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Equus capensis (E. capensis), the Giant Cape zebra, is an extinct species of zebra[1] that lived during the Pleistocene of South Africa. E. capensis was first described from the Cape Town region of South Africa in 1909.[2] E. capensis can be estimated to have grown to about 150 cm (59 in) at the withers and 400 kg (880 lb) in body mass.[1]
| Equus capensis Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Perissodactyla |
| Family: | Equidae |
| Genus: | Equus |
| Subgenus: | Hippotigris |
| Species: | †E. capensis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Equus capensis Broom, 1909 | |
A 2009 DNA study analyzed several museum specimens identified as Cape zebras and concluded that all specimens tested clustered within the plains zebra, Equus quagga, with E. q. quagga and E. q. burchelli, rather than belonging to a distinct species.[3]
