Mesohippus
Mesohippus Temporal range: Middle Eocene – Early Oligocene | |
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M. barbouri | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Perissodactyla |
Family: | Equidae |
Subfamily: | †Anchitheriinae |
Genus: | Mesohippus Marsh, 1875 |
Species | |
See text |
Mesohippus (Greek: μεσο/meso meaning "middle" and ιππος/hippos meaning "horse") is an extinct genus of early horse. It lived some 30 to 40 million years ago from the Middle Eocene to the Early Oligocene.[1] Like many fossil horses, Mesohippus was common in North America.
Description
![](../I/m/Mesohippus.jpg)
Mesohippus had longer legs than its predecessor Eohippus and stood about 60 cm {6 hands} tall. It had also lost a toe and stood predominantly on its middle toe, although the other two were also used.[2] The face of Mesohippus was longer and larger than earlier equids. It had a slight facial fossa, or depression, in the skull. The eyes were rounder, and were set wider apart and farther back than in Hyracotherium.
![](../I/m/Mesohippus_01.jpg)
Unlike earlier horses, its teeth were low crowned and contained a single gap behind the front teeth, where the bit now rests in the modern horse. In addition, it had another grinding tooth, making a total of six. Mesohippus was a browser that fed on tender twigs and fruit.[2] The cerebral hemisphere, or cranial cavity, was notably larger than that of its predecessors; its brain was similar to that of modern horses.
Species
- M. bairdi
- M. barbouri
- M. braquistylus
- M. equiceps
- M. hypostylus
- M. intermedius
- M. latidens
- M. longiceps
- M. metulophus
- M. montanensis
- M. obliquidens
- M. proteulophus
- M. westoni
References
- ↑ McKenna, M. C.; Bell, S. K. (1997). Classification of Mammals: Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. p. 631. ISBN 978-0-231-11013-6.
- 1 2 Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 255. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
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