''Epihippus'' is an extinct genus of the modern

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

family

Equidae Equidae (commonly known as the horse family) is the Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic Family (biology), family of Wild horse, horses and related animals, including Asinus, asses, zebra, zebras, and many extinct species known only from fossils. The fa ...

that lived in the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

, from 46 to 38 million years ago. Hancock Mammal Quarry mural

''Epihippus'' is believed to have evolved from ''

Orohippus ''Orohippus'' (from the Greek , 'mountain' and , 'horse') is an extinct equid that lived in the Eocene (about 50 million years ago). Its fossils have been unearthed in Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Description It is believed to hav ...

'', which continued the evolutionary trend of increasingly efficient grinding teeth. It had five grinding, low-crowned cheek teeth with well-formed crests. A late and partially recognized species of ''Epihippus'', sometimes called ''Duchesnehippus intermedius'', had teeth similar to

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

equids, although slightly less developed. The genus fed mostly on insects, berries and plant material.

Species

There are three species: * ''Epihippus gracilis'' * ''Epihippus intermedius'' * ''Epihippus uintensis''

References

Eocene horses Eocene Perissodactyla Eocene mammals of North America Paleogene United States Prehistoric placental genera Extinct mammals of North America Eocene genus extinctions Eocene extinctions Fossil taxa described in 1877 {{Paleo-oddtoedungulate-stub