Donkey Donkey The donkey or ass ("Equus africanus asinus") is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, "E. africanus". The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years. There are more than 40 million donkeys in the world, mostly in underdeveloped countries, where they are used principally as draught or pack animals. Working donkeys are often associated with those living at or below subsistence levels. Small numbers of donkeys are kept for breeding or as pets in developed countries. A male donkey or ass
Proconsul africanus has a talus in which the trochlear surface is highly curved and deeply grooved. The foot of this species possessed a transverse arch. "Proconsul africanus" had a brachial index of 96 which is comparable to the extant genus "Pan". Overall the skeleton of this species can be described as being robust. This species had an average body mass of around . Based upon the dental morphology, it is conjectured that "Proconsul africanus" was a frugivorous species. A study by Aiello in 1981 concluded it was a "below-branch feeder." Based on postcranial pieces, "Proconsul africanus" was likely an arboreal quadruped. Proconsul