Name: Merychippus Name: Merychippus About 28 million years ago, the line of horse-like animals had evolved into Merychippus. This was a larger animal, about the size of a Shetland pony, and looked more like a modern horse. It had 3 toes similar to the Mesohippus, but the side toes did not touch the ground, only the larger middle toe. It had a long face and long legs, and probably was migrating during the year to escape predators and to find food.
The climate had been changing significantly. It was one of the first horses that fed on grass. It had high crowned (hypsodont) teeth and complex chewing surfaces.
The teeth had developed a thicker coating of cement, with more complex folds and ridges on the teeth, also developing taller crowns, with some exceeding 1 inch (2.5 cm) in height. These horses were “mixed” feeders, but probably were eating more grass than previous forms.
The Miocene was a time of great diversification and there were several species coexisting (possibly 8 to 12 or even more!). They may have been able to co-exist as they were pursuing varied and different food sources with a mix of grass and browsing.