Horse Timeline

By Alexis Bishop and Brittany Fung

 First Evolution

Eohippus = Dawn Horse (--hi-ps\)

Found in North America

Found about 50-60 million years ago

Evolution: Had a height of 0.4m(dog size)

Shared hooved feet on an odd number of toes

Upper lip and smooth tooth structure

Shared common ancestry with rhinoceros and tapir(similar

shape of a pig)
 Second Evolution

Mesohippus = Middle Horse (Me-so-hip-pus)

Found about 40 million years ago

Evolution: Had a height of 0.6m

First of the three-toed horses

Teeth were unsuited to the grazing

Found at many Oligocene localities in Colorado and the Great

Plains of the US
 Third Evolution

Merychippus = Ruminant Horse(merychip-pus)

Found about 30 million years ago

Evolution: Had a height of 1.0m

Had three toes on each feet

Is the first horse to grazed ( eat grass in the field)

Found at many late Miocene localities throughout

The United States

 Fourth Evolution

Pliohippus = More Horse (Plee-o-hip-us)

Found about 10 million years ago

Evolution: Had a height of 1.0m

Developed feet supported by the middle toe

 Last evolution

Equus = Modern Horse

Found about one million years ago

Evolution: Had a height of 1.6m

Originated from North America

Citations

http://chem.tufts.edu/science/evolution/horseevolution.htm

https://evolutionisntscience.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/evolutionhorse.gif

https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/horse/the-evolution-of-horses/

http://www.equestrianandhorse.com/equus/evolution.html