Hypohippus

Hypohippus
Temporal range: Barstovian-Clarendonian
~15.97–10.3 Ma
Hypohippus osborni skeleton
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Subfamily: †Anchitheriinae
Genus: †Hypohippus
Leidy, 1858
Species
  • H. affinis Leidy 1858
  • H. osborni

Hypohippus (Greek: "under" (hypos), "horse" (hippos)[1]) is an extinct genus of three-toed horse, which lived 17–11 million years ago.[2] It was the largest anchitherine equid about the size of a modern domestic horse, at 403–600 kg (888–1,323 lb)[3][4] and 1.8 m (5.9 ft) long. It was a long-necked, high-shouldered browser with sub-hypsodont, lophodont (rhino-like) dentition, that fed on the tough vegetation of forest understory and shrubs. Its deep preorbital fossae and retraction of the nasal notch hint at the presence of a long, muscular and prehensile upper lip that would aid during selective browsing. Overall its ecology would have been more comparable to modern okapi than to grazing horses.[5] Fossils of it have been found in Nebraska, Colorado, and Montana.[6][7]

  • 20th century restoration by Heinrich Harder.
    20th century restoration by Heinrich Harder.
  • Life restoration showing a prominent, prehensile upper lip.
    Life restoration showing a prominent, prehensile upper lip.
  1. ^ "Glossary. American Museum of Natural History". Archived from the original on 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ Janis, C. M.; Damuth, J.; Theodor, J. M. (2002). "The origins and evolution of the North American grassland biome: The story from the hoofed mammals". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 177 (1–2): 183–198. Bibcode:2002PPP...177..183J. doi:10.1016/S0031-0182(01)00359-5.
  3. ^ Bruce J. MacFadden (1992). Fossil Horses: Systematics, Paleobiology, and Evolution of the Family Equidae. Cambridge University Press. p. 284. ISBN 0521477085. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  4. ^ Christine M. Janis (1998). Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America: Volume 1, Terrestrial, Carnivores, Ungulates and Ungulate-like mammals. Cambridge University Press. p. 545. ISBN 9780521355193. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  5. ^ Evans, J. W.; Bennett, Debb (2008). The Elsevier World Animal Science Encyclopedia (PDF). pp. 1–37.
  6. ^ Hypohippus
  7. ^ "Hypohippus". Florida Museum. 2018-02-16. Retrieved 2021-08-14.