|
The Hyracotherium or Eohippus is considered the first stage in the evolution of horses. It was tiny, about the size of a fox, 10 to 20 inches high. It had small sharp teeth, many-toed feet, and an arched-back. Its feet were padded like many four-legged mammels today, such as dogs and cats. The eyes were set foward on the skull instead of on the side. It was a lot different than the horse we know today. Some claim that hyracotherium is merely a prehistoric version of the modern hyrax, a rodent-like animal that lives in Africa. Comparisions between the two skeletons provide similar results, but the skull of Hyracotherium's skull is slightly different. The diet of this small animal is thought to be that of fruit, leaves and other soft vegetation because of the shape of the teeth. Also using the teeth as evidence, it is found that they had a lifespan of 4 to 6 years. It lived about 54 to 45 million years ago in the early early Eocine epoch in what is now Eurasia and North America. |
|
