Archaeohippus blackbergiSmall Three-Toed Horse
The name Archaeohippus means “ancient horse” and it lived between 15-18 Million Years ago. This Small Three-Toed Horse is from the Miocene and was about the size of a small dog. It is estimated to have weighed about 50-95 pounds. It is a member of the subfamily Equinae and is one of the oldest horses found in Florida.
Descending from Miohippus, this small three-toed horse actually evolved smaller over time. This dwarfed and primitive horse had higher crown teeth suggested that it may have been a forest dweller or an open woodland horse. Living a single lifestyle or in pairs, it would have lived an average of 4-5 years. The “type specimen” is named from a discovery in coastal Texas.
A complete skeleton has been composited from specimens found at the Thomas Farm Site, in Central Florida, by the University of Florida, and is the only one in existence to date. It differs from Parahippus in size (much smaller), skull and toe definitions. Another older horse, Archeohippus Mannulus sp., is from the late Oligocene or earliest Miocene of Central Florida. These horses help in the further study of evolution.
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