The Cotentin donkeys (Equus asinus) wear on their withers a cross inherited from their ancestors. Its St Andrew's cross – also known as the Palestine cross – is made up of darker hair, often black or brown. Researchers have studied the two subspecies of the African wild donkey (Equus africanus africanus and Equus africanus somaliensis) and the two species of Asian wild donkeys (Equus hemionu and Equus kiang). The results showed that our modern donkeys are not descended from the Asian branch, but from the African branch. The wild donkeys of North-East Africa are the ancestors of our present-day donkeys.