The earliest fossil ancestor of the horse, which was a small forest animal of the Eocene epoch, with four toes on the front feet and three on the back.
- Genus Hyracotherium, family Equidae.
- The hyracotherium was a small fox-sized four-toed creature, similar to the modern day hyrax.
- Scientists now believe that the hyracotherium ate meat and lived in the forest.
- A close look at the teeth of hyracotherium, reveals a simple pattern of bumps and ridges on their chewing surfaces.
Modern Latin: from hyraco- (combining form from hyrax) + Greek thērion 'wild animal'.
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Line breaks: hyr¦aco|ther¦ium
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