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Astrohippus

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Extinct genus of mammals

Astrohippus
Temporal range: 16.3–4.9 Ma PreꞒ O S D C P T J K Pg N Barstovian to Late Hemphillian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Subfamily: Equinae
Tribe: Equini
Genus: Astrohippus
Quinn, 1955
Species
  • A. ansae
  • A. stockii (syn. A. albidens)

Astrohippus ("Star horse") is an extinct member of the Equidae tribe Equini, the same tribe that contains the only living equid genus, Equus. Fossil remains have been found in the central United States, Florida, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Jalisco, and Guanajuato. The fossils date in time from the oldest dating from the Barstovian in the Miocene to the youngest dating in the Hemphillian faunal stage of the early Pliocene.

Based on study of the tooth morphology it is considered unlikely that Astrohippus could be an ancestor of modern horses, with the most likely ancestor of Astrohippus being Pliohippus.

The species Astrohippus ansae was originally described by W. D. Matthew and R. A. Stirton based on several cheek teeth found in the Coffee Ranch quarry, Hemphill County, Texas. This quarry has produced the remains of six other equid genera including Dinohippus and Nannippus. Astrohippus stockii was described from the Yepomera locality in Chihuahua, Mexico, by J.F. Lance in 1950 as Pliohippus stockii. The species was moved to Astrohippus five years later by Quinn. The species Astrohippus albidens was named by O. Mooser in 1965 from Mexico, the taxon was reassigned to the genus Dinohippus in 1988 by T. S. Kelly and E. B. Lander. In 1998 A. stockii and A. albidens were combined by T. S. Kelly, with the older A. stockii name being retained and A. albidens becoming a junior synonym.

Both species of Astrohippus have been reported to occur in the Ocote Local Fauna of Guanajuato, Mexico by O. Mooser in 1973.

References

  1. ^ The Paleobiology Database 1/21/09
  2. MacFadden, B. J. (1984). "Astrohippus and Dinohippus". J. Vert. Paleon. 4(2):273–283.
  3. Paleobiology Database Ranch Quarry at the Paleobiology Database 1/2109
  4. Mooser, O. 1973 "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
Perissodactyla
Perissodactyla
Incertae sedis
Anthracobunia
Anthracobunidae
Cambaytheriidae
Brontotheriidae
Equoidea
Equidae
Palaeotheriidae
Pachynolophinae
Palaeotheriinae
Hyopsodontidae?
Phenacodontidae?
Meniscotheriinae
Phenacodontinae
Tapiromorpha
    • See below↓
Palaeotherium medium

Hyopsodus sp.

Meniscotherium chamense
Tapiromorpha
Incertae sedis
Isectolophidae
Homogalaxinae
Isectolophinae
Ancylopoda
Ceratomorpha
Tapiroidea
Deperetellidae
Helaletidae
Tapiridae
Rhinocerotoidea
    • See below↓
Heptodon posticus Tapirus augustus
Rhinocerotoidea
Rhinocerotoidea sensu lato
Indolophidae
Rhinocerotoidea
sensu stricto
Hyrachyidae
Eggysodontidae
Hyracodontidae
Amynodontidae
Amynodontinae
Cadurcodontini
Metamynodontini
Paraceratheriidae
Forstercooperiinae
Paraceratheriinae
Rhinocerotidae
    • See below↓
Hyracodon nebraskensis Paraceratherium transouralicum
Rhinocerotidae
Rhinocerotidae
Aceratheriinae
Elasmotheriinae
Diceratheriini
Elasmotheriini
Rhinocerotinae
Teleoceratini
Rhinocerotina
Dicerorhinini
Dicerotini
Rhinocerotini
Coelodonta antiquatis Elasmotherium caucasicum
Extinct genera of Equidae (Horse family), arranged by subfamily
Basal forms
Anchitheriinae
Equinae
Hipparionini
Equini
Taxon identifiers
Astrohippus
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