Horse Evolution

Geology 331
Paleontology
Horses
Equus caballus
Equus burchelli: the zebra
 Horse-Zebra hybrid
Shows that genes are discrete and not blended by
genetic recombination.
 1870

The extinct quagga (1883), related to today's

plains zebras.
“Family tree”
of the horses
 Ungulate Toes
Artiodactyls:
Artiodact ls: Perissodactyls:
Perissodact ls:
even-toed odd-toed

Bovine and swine Horse and rhinoceras

Horses reduced their toes from five to
one,, while also lengthening
g g the
bones, during their evolution.
Hyracotherium Miohippus Merychippus Equus

Hind feet left, front feet right.

Hyracotherium or Eohippus from the Eocene,
a forest browser
Orohippus from the late Eocene, also a forest browser
Miohippus from the Oligocene. Forests were
g, ggrasslands were expanding.
shrinking, p g
Merychippus
from the
Miocene,
Miocene
a plains
grazer
The modern horse
Equus from the
Pl i t
Pleistocene andd
Recent
Evolutionary trends in horses and
many other ungulates
• Reduction in toes
• Elongation of legs by standing on the toes
• Increased body size
• Elongation of the muzzle
• High crowned,
crowned specialized teeth
 Environmental Causes of
Evolutionary trends in horses and
many other ungulates
• Need for greater speed and body size to
escape predators
predators.
• Cooling climate during the Cenozoic
replaced forests with grasslands.
grasslands Simple
hooves and elongated legs are adaptive for
u
runningg in thee open.
ope . Elongated
o g ed muzzle
u e too
reach grass.
• Grasses are highg in silica. High
g crowned
teeth are adaptive.