Name:
Pliohippus (Greek for "Pliocene horse"); pronounced PLY-oh-HIP-us
Habitat:
Plains of North America
Historical Epoch:
Late Miocene-Pliocene (12-2 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 6 feet high and 1,000 pounds
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Single-toed feet; depression in skull above eyes
About Pliohippus:
Like modern plains horses, Pliohippus seems to have been built for speed: this true single-toed horse roamed the grassy plains of North America between 12 million and 2 million years ago (the latter end of that timespan landing in the Pliocene epoch, from which the name of this prehistoric horse derives). Although Pliohippus closely resembled modern horses, there's some debate about whether the distinctive depressions in its skull, in front of its eyes, are evidence of a parallel branch in equine evolution.
