Hipparion

Hipparion is an extinct genus of three-toed equids that lived across Eurasia, Africa, and North America during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs.

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Equidae: Equidae is the mammal family containing horses, asses, zebras, and their extinct relatives. Hipparion belongs to this family, whose living members have a single functional toe.
Unguligrade locomotion: Unguligrade locomotion is movement supported primarily by the tips of the digits, usually enclosed in hooves. Hipparion's weight-bearing central toe supported efficient movement on open ground.
Equine radiation: Equine radiation is the diversification of horses and their relatives into multiple genera and ecological forms. Hipparion arose within the Miocene expansion of diverse equid lineages.
Hipparion gracile: Hipparion gracile is a small-bodied species of extinct three-toed horse known from Eurasian fossils. It illustrates the diversity of Hipparion species beyond the genus's best-known forms.
Perissodactyla: Perissodactyla is the mammalian order of odd-toed ungulates, including horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs. This broader group includes Hipparion and its equid relatives.
Equid limb evolution: Equid limb evolution is the long-term change from multi-toed limbs toward the single-hoofed limbs of modern horses. Hipparion retained functional side toes while emphasizing the central toe.
Miocene: The Miocene is a geological epoch lasting from about 23 to 5.3 million years ago. Hipparion diversified widely during this epoch.
Hipparion primigenium: Hipparion primigenium is a fossil three-toed horse species known from Europe and western Asia. Its fossils document Hipparion in Eurasia.
Three-toed horse: A three-toed horse is an extinct equid with three toes bearing weight on each foot. Hipparion is a prominent example of this form, though its side toes were reduced.
Hypsodont teeth: Hypsodont teeth are high-crowned teeth adapted to prolonged wear from abrasive food or grit. Hipparion's high-crowned cheek teeth suited diets exposed to abrasive grasses and dust.