Evolution of the horse
Hipparion
pics of wild horses
The name Hipparion is Greek, meaning "Pony".It is an extinct genus of horse living in North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa during the Miocene and through Pleistocene period.
This animal resembled the modern horse and was the size of a small pony, being about 13.23hh or 1.4 metres to the shoulder.
It was a very slim athletic type that had adapted to life on the dry prairies.
It still had three toes (in addition to its hoof), but side toes remained off the ground.
It would have grazed in that of non-forested, grassy plains, shortgrass prairie or steppes.
Pliohippus
history of horse
Pliohippus is an extinct genus of Equidae, the "horse family".
Pliohippus arose in the middle Miocene, around 12 million years ago, probably from Calippus.
This animal had long slim limbs and was quick-footed.
It was similar in appearance to Equus, but had two long extra toes on both sides of the hoof, externally barely visible as stumps.
It was believed to be the ancestor of present day horse, but further research shows otherwise.
It is likely to be a candidate for the ancestor Astrohippus.
The Pliohippus was approximately six feet high, and weighed one thousand pounds. Its diet was plants and it's habitat was the plains of North America.
Dinohippus
Dinohippus is a Grek word meaning "Terrible horse".
This species of Equidae was most common in North America from the late Hemphillian stage of the Miocene through the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene .
It appears that genus Equus evolved from a Dinohippus – like ancestor.
Plesippus
> > Scrole down for more information on ancient horse > >
Evolution of the horse - equid -5 > > Home
Hyracotherium - early equid - 1
Mesohippus - early equid - 2
Miohippus - early equid - 3
Parahippus - Merychippus- equid - 4
Tarpan - extinct horse type -6
Norfolk trotter
Narragansett Pacer
