Merychippus
Group Placental mammals
Date Middle to Late Miocene
Size 1.1m tall
Location USA, Mexico
During the Miocene, the world’s climate became drier, and forests thinned out into grasslands. Merychippus was a primitive horse that live in large her on these new plains. It had evolved from its shy, forest-dwelling ancestors to become a long-legged, fast-running grazer, similar to today’s equines. Merychippus was the first equine to have a single hoofed middle toe on each foot. Although two other toes flanked the middle one, in mist species these were only long enough to touch the ground while it was galloping. Descendents of Merychippus include Pliohippus and today’s Equus species.