What adaptations did the Mesohippus have?

Mesohippus also had a larger brain. The fourth toe on the forefoot had been reduced to a vestige, so that both the forefeet and hind feet carried three functional toes and a footpad. The teeth remained adapted to browsing. By the late Oligocene, Mesohippus had evolved into a somewhat larger form known as Miohippus.

What period was the Mesohippus?

Mesohippus (Greek: μεσο/meso meaning “middle” and ιππος/hippos meaning “horse”) is an extinct genus of early horse. It lived some 40 to 30 million years ago from the Middle Eocene to the Early Oligocene.

Is Mesohippus extinct?

Mesohippus, genus of extinct early and middle Oligocene horses (the Oligocene Epoch occurred from 33.9 to 23 million years ago) commonly found as fossils in the rocks of the Badlands region of South Dakota, U.S. Mesohippus was the first of the three-toed horses and, although only the size of a modern collie dog, was …

What were the features of Mesohippus?

About the size of a deer, Mesohippus was distinguished by its three-toed front feet (earlier horses sported four toes on their front limbs) and the wide-set eyes set high atop its long, horse-like skull.

How many toes did the Mesohippus have?

The Eocene predecessors of Mesohippus had four toes on their front feet, but Mesohippus lost the fourth toe.

What did Mesohippus look like?

Mesohippus means “middle” horse and it is considered the middle horse between the Eocene and the more modern looking horses. It had lost some of its toes and evolved into a 3-toed animal. The middle toe was larger and all three toes supported the animal’s weight.

What is the habitat of the Mesohippus?

Fossils of Mesohippus are found at many Oligocene localities in Colorado and the Great Plains of the US, including Nebraska and the Dakotas, and Canada. This genus lived about 37-32 million years ago. Mesohippus are browsing in their forest habitat in this 1913 painting by Bruce Horsfall.

How many toes does a Mesohippus have?

About the size of a deer, Mesohippus was distinguished by its three-toed front feet (earlier horses sported four toes on their front limbs) and the wide-set eyes set high atop its long, horse-like skull.

What is a Mesohippus?

Mesohippus is intermediate between the Eohippus -like horses of the Eocene, which don’t look much like our familiar “horse,” and more “modern” horses. Where & When? Fossils of Mesohippus are found at many Oligocene localities in Colorado and the Great Plains of the US, including Nebraska and the Dakotas, and Canada.

How big was the Mesohippus horse?

Mesohippus was about 4 feet long, about 2 feet high and weighed around 75 pounds. Which would be really, really small for a horse. However, it wasn’t a true horse like the modern horse.

Where can you find Mesohippus fossils?

Fossils of Mesohippus are found at many Oligocene localities in Colorado and the Great Plains of the US, including Nebraska and the Dakotas, and Canada. This genus lived about 37-32 million years ago. Mesohippus are browsing in their forest habitat in this 1913 painting by Bruce Horsfall.