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Hipparion platyodus
Order Perissodactyla, Family Equidae
Miocene (20 million years before present)
Gansu Province, China
Herbivore
The three-toed equine somewhat resembles today’s ponies, but with three toes. It gradually spread from the grasslands of North America to Eurasia and Africa. The three-toed equine has the typical characteristics of hypsodont teeth, with the crown being longer than the tooth root. This implies that the teeth are durable. The occlusal surfaces of the molars developed into complex, folded, abrasive surfaces to facilitate the chewing of dry grasses.
2025/11/27 Updated