Scientific name Hipparion Higher classification Horses Order Odd-toed ungulate | Phylum Chordata Rank Genus | |
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Similar Mammal, Merychippus, Horses, Mesohippus, Pliohippus | ||
Hipparion (Greek, "pony") is an extinct genus of horse living in North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa during the Miocene through Pleistocene ~23 Mya—781,000 years ago, existing for 22 million years.
Contents
Its habitat or biome would be that of non-forested, grassy plains, shortgrass prairie or steppes.
Taxonomy
Hipparion was named by de Christol (1832) with it assigned the type European H. prostylum. It was assigned to Equidae by de Christol (1832), Thurmond and Jones (1981) and Carroll (1988); and to Hipparionini by MacFadden (1998).
Morphology
Hipparion resembled the modern horse, but still had two vestigal outer toes (in addition to its hoof). These did not touch the ground. Hipparion was about 1.4 metres (13.3 hands) tall at the shoulder.
Body mass
Three specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass.
Species
