Equus neogeus
Equus neogeus | |
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Skull | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Perissodactyla |
Family: | Equidae |
Genus: | Equus |
Species: | †E. neogeus
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Binomial name | |
†Equus neogeus Lund, 1840
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Synonyms | |
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Equus neogeus is an extinct species of equine native to South America during the Pleistocene. It was formerly thought to be several distinct species within the subgenus Amerhippus, but was later shown to be a single morphologically variable species. It is thought to be closely related to true horses.
Taxonomy
While they have formerly been referred to as belonging to 5 separate species, this has been revised down into three,
Description
Equus neogeus measured roughly 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall and weighed approximately 400 kg (880 lb).[8]
Distribution
They were one of two groups of equines in South America, alongside
Paleobiology
A 2019 study suggested that Equus neogeus specimens from Uruguay were primarily grazers that fed on both C4 and C3 grasses in prairies and open woodlands.[12]
Extinction
Equus neogeus became extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene as part of the
References
- ^ Prado, J. L., and Alberdi, M. T. (2017). Fossil Horses of South America. Springer International Publishing, 150
- S2CID 22113020.
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- ^ .
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- ISSN 2296-701X.
- ^ hdl:10261/115119.
- S2CID 164732480.
- ^ De Porta, Jaime. 1960. Los Equidos fósiles de la Sabana de Bogotá. Boletín de Geología, Universidad Industrial de Santander 4. 51–78. Accessed 2017-03-30.
- ^ PMID 36138737.
- S2CID 210240458.
- S2CID 36156087.
- S2CID 253876769.