Protorohippus

Protorohippus (Latin: "before" (pro), + Greek: "mountain" (oros), "horse" (hippos)^[1]) is an extinct genus of equid that lived in the Eocene of North America.^[2]

Protorohippus Temporal range: Eocene (Wasatchian)
Fossil from the Green River Formation
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Family:	Equidae
Genus:	†Protorohippus Wortman, 1896
Type species
Protorohippus venticolum (Cope, 1881)
Species
†P. venticolum (Cope, 1881) †P. montanum Wortman, 18961
Synonyms
Hyracotherium venticolum Cope, 1881 Hyracotherium vasacciense venticolum Kitts, 1956 Eohippus venticolum Granger, 1908

Palaeobiology

Based on oxygen and carbon isotope analysis of the teeth of P. montanum, the species is believed to have had two distinct birth seasons per year, a result of the diminished seasonality during the Early Eocene. It is possible that this phenomenon held for other early equids as well.^[3]

Restoration by Charles R. Knight

Skeleton cast

See also

• Paleontology portal

• Evolution of the horse