Astrohippus

As-tro-hip-pus.
Published on

Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Astrohippus ‭(‬Star horse‭?)‬.

Phonetic

As-tro-hip-pus.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Perissodactyla,‭ ‬Equidae,‭ ‬Equinae,‭ ‬Equini.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬ansae‭

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

Mexico and the USA,‭ ‬including the states of Florida,‭ ‬Kansas,‭ ‬New Mexico,‭ ‬Nebraska,‭ ‬Nevada,‭ ‬Oklahoma,‭ ‬Texas.

Time Period

Serravalian to the Messinian of the Miocene.

Fossil representation

Fossils of multiple individuals.

In Depth

       Astrohippus is one of many of the horse genera that were roaming around North America during the Miocene period,‭ ‬but it is one of the few to be considered a close relative of the Equus genus which is where modern horses belong,‭ ‬though the tooth structure of Astrohippus strongly suggests that Astrohippus is not directly ancestral to Equus.‭ ‬Astrohippus has been considered by some to be descended from the genus Pliohippus.

Further Reading

– Pliocene Horses of the Ocote Local Fauna,‭ ‬Central Plateau of Mexico Pliocene Horses of the Ocote Local Fauna,‭ ‬Central Plateau of Mexico.‭ ‬-‭ ‬The Southwestern Naturalist‭ ‬18‭(‬3‭)‬:257-268.‭ ‬-‭ ‬O.‭ ‬Mooser‭ ‬-‭ ‬1973. ‭ ‬-‭ ‬Astrohippus and Dinohippus.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology‭ ‬4‭(‬2‭)‬:273-283.‭ ‬-‭ ‬B.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬MacFadden‭ ‬-‭ ‬1984.

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