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{{Short description|Extinct genus of mammals}}
{{italic title}}{{Taxobox
{{Italic title}}
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| name = ''Miohippus''<ref name=McK&B>{{cite book |author1=McKenna, M. C |author2=S. K. Bell |lastauthoramp=yes | year = 1997 | title = Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level | publisher = Columbia University Press | isbn = 0-231-11012-X}}</ref>
{{Automatic taxobox
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| fossil_range = [[Oligocene]]
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| name = ''Miohippus''<ref name=McK&B>{{cite book |author1=McKenna, M. C |author2=S. K. Bell |name-list-style=amp | year = 1997 | title = Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level | publisher = Columbia University Press | isbn = 0-231-11012-X}}</ref>
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| image=Miohippus.jpg
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| fossil_range = late [[Eocene]] to late [[Oligocene]]
| image_caption = ''Miohippus'' Fossil skull
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| image = Miohippus skeleton.jpg
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| image_caption = Skeleton
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| taxon = Miohippus
⚫
| authority = [[Othniel Charles Marsh|Marsh]], 1874
| ordo = [[Perissodactyla]]
| familia = [[Equidae]]
| subfamilia = †[[Anchitheriinae]]
| genus = '''''Miohippus'''''
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| genus_authority = [[Othniel Charles Marsh|Marsh]], 1874
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
| subdivision = See text
}}
}}

'''''Miohippus''''' (meaning "small horse") was a [[genus]] of prehistoric horse existing longer than most [[Equidae]]. ''Miohippus'' lived in what is now [[North America]] during the Oligocene approximately 32-25 million years ago. While descending genera of this species lived during the Miocene period, ''Miohippus'' was a horse of the Oligocene. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, Othniel Charles Marsh first believed ''Miohippus'' lived during the Miocene and thus named the genus using this incorrect conclusion. More recent research provides evidence that ''Miohippus'' actually lived during the Oligocene.
'''''Miohippus''''' (meaning "small horse") is an extinct [[genus]] of horse existing longer than most [[Equidae]]. It lived in what is now [[North America]] from 32 to 25 million years ago, during the late [[Eocene]] to late Oligocene.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-16 |title=Miohippus |url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/fossil-horses/gallery/miohippus/ |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=Florida Museum |language=en-US}}</ref> According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, [[Othniel Charles Marsh]] first believed ''Miohippus'' lived during the Miocene and thus named the genus using this incorrect conclusion. More recent research provides evidence that ''Miohippus'' actually lived during the [[Paleogene]] period.


''Miohippus'' species are commonly referred to as the '''three-toed horses'''.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} Their range was from [[Alberta, Canada]] to [[Florida]] to [[California]].
''Miohippus'' species are commonly referred to as the '''three-toed horses'''.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} Their range was from [[Alberta, Canada]] to [[Florida]] to [[California]].


==Taxonomy==
== Taxonomy ==
[[File:Miohippus fossils.jpeg|thumb|right|Fossils, University of California Museum of Paleontology]]
[[File:Miohippus.jpg|thumb|Skull]]
''Miohippus'' was named by [[Othniel Charles Marsh|Marsh]] in 1874 and its type is ''Miohippus annectens''. It was assigned to [[Equidae]] by Marsh in 1874. It was synonymized subjectively with ''[[Mesohippus]]'' by [[William Diller Matthew|Matthew]] in 1899. It was assigned again by [[Oliver Perry Hay|Hay]] (1902), [[Henry Fairfield Osborn|H. F. Osborn]] in 1918,<ref>H. F. Osborn. 1918. Geological Society America Bulletin 29.</ref> Hay (1930), Stirton (1940) and Carroll (1988); and to Anchitheriinae by MacFadden in 1998.<ref>B. J. MacFadden. 1998. Equidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America 1:537-559.</ref><ref name="TPBDB">[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=43011&is_real_user=1 Paleobiology Database ''Miohippus'' entry] Accessed 8 December 2011</ref>
The type species of ''Miohippus'', ''M. annectens'', was named by [[Othniel Charles Marsh|Marsh]] in 1874. It is classified as a member of the subfamily Anchitheriinae following MacFadden (1998).<ref name=":0">B. J. MacFadden. 1998. Equidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America 1:537-559.</ref><ref name="TPBDB">[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=43011 Paleobiology Database ''Miohippus'' entry] Accessed 8 December 2011</ref>


=== Species list ===
* ''Miohippus'' <small>Marsh, 1874</small> (synonyms- ''Altippus'' <small>Douglass, 1908</small>, ''Pediohippus'' <small>Schlaikjer, 1935</small>)
:* ''M. acutidens'' <small>(Sinclair, 1905)</small>
* ''M. anceps'' <small>Marsh, 1874</small>
:* ''M. anceps'' <small>(Marsh, 1874)</small>
* ''M. annectens'' <small>Marsh, 1874</small> <small>[[Type species]]</small>
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* ''M. assiniboiensis'' <small>Lambe, 1905</small>
:* ''M. annectens'' <small>Marsh, 1874</small> <small>[[Type species]]</small> (synonyms- ''M. crassicuspis'' <small>Osborn, 1904</small>)''
:* ''M. assiniboiensis'' <small>(Lambe, 1905)</small>
* ''M. condoni'' <small>Leidy, 1870</small>
:* ''M. condoni'' <small>(Leidy, 1870)</small>
* ''M. equiceps'' <small>Cope, 1879</small>
:* ''M. equiceps'' <small>(Cope, 1879)</small> (synonyms- ''Anchitherium brachylophus'' <small>Cope, 1879</small>)
* ''M. equinanus'' <small>Osborn, 1918</small>
:* ''M. equinanus'' <small>Osborn, 1918</small>
* ''M. gemmarosae'' <small>Osborn, 1918</small>
:* ''M. gemmarosae'' <small>Osborn, 1918</small>
* ''M. gidleyi'' <small>Osborn, 1904</small>
:* ''M. gidleyi'' <small>(Osborn, 1904)</small> (synonyms- ''Mesohippus grallipes'' <small>Sinclair, 1925</small>, ''Me. validus'' <small>Osborn, 1894</small>)
* ''M. intermedius'' <small>Osborn & Wortman, 1895</small>
:* ''M. grandis'' <small>(Clark & Beerbower, 1967)</small>
* ''M. longicristis'' <small>Cope, 1878</small>
:* ''M. intermedius'' <small>(Osborn & Wortman, 1895)</small>
* ''M. obliquidens'' <small>Osborn, 1904</small>
:* ''M. longicristis'' <small>(Cope, 1878)</small>
* ''M. primus'' <small>Osborn, 1918</small>
⚫
* ''M. quartus'' <small>Osborn, 1918</small>
:* ''M. obliquidens'' <small>(Osborn, 1904)</small> (synonyms- ''Me. barbouri'' <small>Schlaikjer, 1931</small>, ''Me. brachystylus'' <small>Osborn, 1904</small>, ''Me. eulophus'' <small>Osborn, 1904</small>, ''Mi. meteulophus'' <small>Osborn, 1904</small>, ''Pediohippus antiquus'' <small>Schlaikjer, 1935</small>)
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:* ''M. primus'' <small>Osborn, 1918</small>
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:* ''M. quartus'' <small>Osborn, 1918</small>


==Morphology==
== Description ==
⚫
[[File:Turtle Cove mural - Roger Witter.jpg|thumb|left|Restoration of ''Miohippus'' (middle) and other animals from the Turtle Cove Member of the John Day Formation. Image courtesy of the National Park Service]]
Three specimens were examined for estimated [[body mass]] by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist.<ref>M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist. 2006. Estimating the body mass of extinct ungulates: a study on the use of multiple regression. Journal of Zoology 270(1):90-101.</ref> These specimens were estimated to weigh:
⚫
The species ''M. obliquidens'' dating from 34.9 to 30.0 Ma found in [[Montana]], [[North Dakota]], [[South Dakota]], and [[Nebraska]] when calculated for estimated body mass were within the margin of 25 to 30&nbsp;kg. ''Miohippus'' became much larger than ''Mesohippus''. They weighed around 40 to 55 kilograms. They were somewhat larger than most earlier [[Eocene]] horse ancestors, but still much smaller than modern horses, which typically weigh about 500 kilograms.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}
* {{Convert|13.5|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}
* {{Convert|32.7|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}
⚫
[[File:Turtle Cove mural - Roger Witter.jpg|thumb|left|Restoration of ''Miohippus'' (middle) and other animals from the Turtle Cove Formation]]
The species ''M. obliquidens'' dating from 34.9 to 30.0 Ma found in [[Montana]], [[North Dakota]], [[South Dakota]], and [[Nebraska]] when calculated for estimated body mass were within the margin of 25 to 30&nbsp;kg.


⚫
''Miohippus'' was larger than ''Mesohippus'' and had a slightly longer skull. Its facial [[Fossa (anatomy)|fossa]] was deeper and more expanded, and the [[ankle joint]] was subtly different. ''Miohippus'' also had a variable extra crest on its upper [[Molar (tooth)|molar]]s, which gave it a larger surface area for chewing tougher forage. This would become a typical characteristic of the teeth of later equine species.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}
⚫
''Miohippus'' became much larger than ''Mesohippus''. They weighed around 40 to 55 kilograms. They were somewhat larger than most earlier [[Eocene]] horse ancestors, but still much smaller than modern horses, which typically weigh about 500 kilograms.


⚫
''Miohippus'' had two forms, one of which adjusted to the life in [[forest]]s, while the other remained suited to life on [[prairie]]s. The forest form led to the birth of ''[[Kalobatippus]]'' (or ''Miohippus intermedius''), whose second and fourth finger again elongated for travel on the softer primeval forest grounds. The ''Kalobatippus'' managed to relocate to [[Asia]] via the [[Bering Strait]] land bridge, and from there moved into [[Europe]], where its [[fossil]]s were formerly described under the name ''Anchitherium''. ''Kalobatippus'' is then believed to have evolved into a form known as ''[[Hypohippus]]'', which became extinct near the beginning of the [[Pliocene]].<ref name="Barbour 2018">{{cite journal | last=Barbour | first=E. H. | title=A New Fossil Horse, "Hypohippus Matthewi" | journal=Conservation and Survey Division | date=2018-04-17 | url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/conservationsurvey/222 | access-date=2022-05-23}}</ref>
⚫
''Miohippus'' was larger than ''Mesohippus'' and had a slightly longer skull. Its facial [[Fossa (anatomy)|fossa]] was deeper and more expanded, and the [[ankle joint]] was subtly different. ''Miohippus'' also had a variable extra crest on its upper [[Molar (tooth)|molar]]s, which gave it a larger surface area for chewing tougher forage. This would become a typical characteristic of the teeth of later equine species.


As many as eight species of ''Miohippus'' were described from the John Day Formation of Oregon, but recent work on the dental variation has determined that only one species of ''Miohippus'' was present within a given member.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Famoso|first1=Nicholas|title=Statistical analysis of dental variation in the Oligocene equid Miohippus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) of Oregon|journal=Journal of Paleontology|volume=91|issue=5|pages=1060–1068|date=July 21, 2017|doi=10.1017/jpa.2017.42|bibcode=2017JPal...91.1060F |doi-access=free}}</ref>
⚫
Miohippus had two forms, one of which adjusted to the life in [[forest]]s, while the other remained suited to life on [[prairie]]s. The forest form led to the birth of ''[[Kalobatippus]]'' (or ''Miohippus intermedius''), whose second and fourth finger again elongated for travel on the softer primeval forest grounds. The ''Kalobatippus'' managed to relocate to [[Asia]] via the [[Bering Strait]] land bridge, and from there moved into [[Europe]], where its [[fossil]]s were formerly described under the name ''Anchitherium''. ''Kalobatippus'' is then believed to have evolved into a form known as ''[[Hyohippus]]'', which became extinct near the beginning of the [[Pliocene]].


==See also==
== See also ==
* [[Evolution of the horse]]
* [[Evolution of the horse]]


==References==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091027053552/http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/7841/horse_evol/others.html Evolution of the Horse]
== External links ==
* [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/horses/horse_evol.html Horse Evolution], by Kathleen Hunt
* {{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/7841/horse_evol/others.html|title=Evolution of the Horse|website=Geocities|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027053552/http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/7841/horse_evol/others.html|archive-date=October 27, 2009|url-status=dead}}
* [http://www.ecology.info/horses.htm Evolution of Horses]
* {{cite web|url=http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/horses/horse_evol.html|title=Horse Evolution (by Kathleen Hunt)|website=Talkorigins|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113155907/http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/horses/horse_evol.html|archive-date=November 13, 2023|url-status=live}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.ecology.info/horses.htm|title=Evolution of Horses|website=Ecology|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609125221/http://www.ecology.info/horses.htm|archive-date=June 9, 2017|url-status=dead}}

{{Commons category|position=left|Miohippus}}
{{Commons category|position=left|Miohippus}}


{{Perissodactyla Genera|P.}}
{{Equidae extinct nav}}
{{Equidae extinct nav}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q942905}}


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[[Category:Anchitheriinae]]
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[[Category:Fossils of Canada]]
[[Category:Paleontology in Alberta]]
[[Category:Eocene horses]]
[[Category:Eocene horses]]
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[[Category:Miocene horses]]
[[Category:Oligocene horses]]
[[Category:Oligocene horses]]
[[Category:Eocene mammals of North America]]
[[Category:Eocene mammals of North America]]
[[Category:Miocene mammals of North America]]
[[Category:Oligocene mammals of North America]]
[[Category:Oligocene mammals of North America]]
[[Category:Prehistoric mammal genera]]
[[Category:Prehistoric placental genera]]
[[Category:Prehistoric mammals of North America]]
[[Category:Eocene genus first appearances]]
[[Category:Eocene first appearances]]
[[Category:Oligocene extinctions]]
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[[Category:Miocene extinctions]]
[[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1874]]
[[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1874]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Othniel Charles Marsh]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Othniel Charles Marsh]]

Latest revision as of 20:06, 18 November 2024

Miohippus[1]
Temporal range: late Eocene to late Oligocene
Skeleton
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Subfamily: †Anchitheriinae
Genus: †Miohippus
Marsh, 1874
Species

See text

Miohippus (meaning "small horse") is an extinct genus of horse existing longer than most Equidae. It lived in what is now North America from 32 to 25 million years ago, during the late Eocene to late Oligocene.[2] According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, Othniel Charles Marsh first believed Miohippus lived during the Miocene and thus named the genus using this incorrect conclusion. More recent research provides evidence that Miohippus actually lived during the Paleogene period.

Miohippus species are commonly referred to as the three-toed horses.[citation needed] Their range was from Alberta, Canada to Florida to California.

Taxonomy

[edit]
Skull

The type species of Miohippus, M. annectens, was named by Marsh in 1874. It is classified as a member of the subfamily Anchitheriinae following MacFadden (1998).[3][4]

Species list

[edit]
  • M. anceps Marsh, 1874
  • M. annectens Marsh, 1874 Type species
  • M. assiniboiensis Lambe, 1905
  • M. condoni Leidy, 1870
  • M. equiceps Cope, 1879
  • M. equinanus Osborn, 1918
  • M. gemmarosae Osborn, 1918
  • M. gidleyi Osborn, 1904
  • M. intermedius Osborn & Wortman, 1895
  • M. longicristis Cope, 1878
  • M. obliquidens Osborn, 1904
  • M. primus Osborn, 1918
  • M. quartus Osborn, 1918

Description

[edit]
Restoration of Miohippus (middle) and other animals from the Turtle Cove Member of the John Day Formation. Image courtesy of the National Park Service

The species M. obliquidens dating from 34.9 to 30.0 Ma found in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska when calculated for estimated body mass were within the margin of 25 to 30 kg. Miohippus became much larger than Mesohippus. They weighed around 40 to 55 kilograms. They were somewhat larger than most earlier Eocene horse ancestors, but still much smaller than modern horses, which typically weigh about 500 kilograms.[citation needed]

Miohippus was larger than Mesohippus and had a slightly longer skull. Its facial fossa was deeper and more expanded, and the ankle joint was subtly different. Miohippus also had a variable extra crest on its upper molars, which gave it a larger surface area for chewing tougher forage. This would become a typical characteristic of the teeth of later equine species.[citation needed]

Miohippus had two forms, one of which adjusted to the life in forests, while the other remained suited to life on prairies. The forest form led to the birth of Kalobatippus (or Miohippus intermedius), whose second and fourth finger again elongated for travel on the softer primeval forest grounds. The Kalobatippus managed to relocate to Asia via the Bering Strait land bridge, and from there moved into Europe, where its fossils were formerly described under the name Anchitherium. Kalobatippus is then believed to have evolved into a form known as Hypohippus, which became extinct near the beginning of the Pliocene.[5]

As many as eight species of Miohippus were described from the John Day Formation of Oregon, but recent work on the dental variation has determined that only one species of Miohippus was present within a given member.[6]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ McKenna, M. C & S. K. Bell (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11012-X.
  2. ^ "Miohippus". Florida Museum. 2018-02-16. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  3. ^ B. J. MacFadden. 1998. Equidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America 1:537-559.
  4. ^ Paleobiology Database Miohippus entry Accessed 8 December 2011
  5. ^ Barbour, E. H. (2018-04-17). "A New Fossil Horse, "Hypohippus Matthewi"". Conservation and Survey Division. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  6. ^ Famoso, Nicholas (July 21, 2017). "Statistical analysis of dental variation in the Oligocene equid Miohippus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) of Oregon". Journal of Paleontology. 91 (5): 1060–1068. Bibcode:2017JPal...91.1060F. doi:10.1017/jpa.2017.42.
[edit]
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