Knowra Eohippus Eohippus Eohippus is the traditional name for a small extinct Eocene equid, known for four toes on each forefoot and three on each hind foot. It is commonly identified with Hyracotherium, though the naming history is complicated.
Equidae : The mammal family comprising horses, asses, and zebras, living and extinct. Eohippus is an early member of the lineage associated with this family.
Mesohippus : An extinct Oligocene equid larger than Eohippus, with three toes on each foot. Its reduced toe count illustrates a later stage in equid evolution.
Richard Owen : A British anatomist and paleontologist who coined the term Dinosauria and described numerous fossils. Owen named Hyracotherium, the taxon often associated with Eohippus.
Equus : The living genus of horses, asses, and zebras, along with many extinct species. Its large body and single-toed feet differ sharply from Eohippus.
Perissodactyla : The mammalian order of odd-toed ungulates, including horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs. Its ancestry belongs within the odd-toed ungulate branch.
Equine dentition : The tooth structure and arrangement characteristic of horses and their relatives. Tooth shape and wear help interpret Eohippus’s diet and fossil identity.
Othniel Charles Marsh : An American paleontologist known for fossil discoveries and competition with Edward Drinker Cope. Marsh named Eohippus from North American fossils in 1876.
Miohippus : An extinct Oligocene equid that lived after Eohippus and included larger, more derived forms. It shows that equid change involved branching lineages, not one direct succession.
Eocene : A geological epoch lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago. Eohippus fossils come from this epoch.
Molarization : The evolutionary development of cheek teeth with grinding surfaces resembling molars. Changes in cheek teeth track dietary shifts among early equids.
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