Lomio, Allyssa Marie B Sir Caezar Franz Ruiz

BIO1203 / Section 6 Zoology Lecture Assessment #3

Evolution of the Horse

a) Draw a graph showing changes in the height of the horse over time.

(b) Describe changes in leg length and the width of the digits.

 While years are passing, the legs are keeping on growing long. It is noticeable
that the equus have the longest length of leg, while Hyracotherium have the
shortest length. This means that the horses are evolving throughout the years.

(c) Do horses have thumbs and fingers?

 Hyracotherium or also known as Eohippus, based on their recovered fossils they

have four-fingered toes on the limb in from and three fingered toes on the back
part of the limb. On the other hand the Equus they have a single to on each of
their limbs but they do have vestigial
Case Study Application Questions

1. Hyracotherium lived in a dense forest area dominated by a rich undergrowth of

ferns. What do you think the advantages of small body stature might be in this
type of environment?

 Although the Hyracotherium is considered having a small size compare to the

other forms of horses throughout the years. They have their advantages, even if
they’re inhabitants in the forest they can easily adapt as they can run faster to
easily escape from predators and they can also hide in the grassland.

2. A change in vegetation to grasslands brought about changes in the shape of

the horse’s leg. What changes in vegetation could have caused the evolution of
the horse?

 According to Molenz the horse evolution is said to be driven by the hot and cold
climate. Horses before lived in muggy forest that Is full of plants that is plenty
with foliage. Their toes spread out as it stretched because of the different angle
which make them sink in the muddy ground. As the hot climate occurs, foliage
plants also vanished and massive tall grass formed. Molenz also added that
there is no evidence for the change in tooth structure, but some authors
suggested that tooth structure transformation was due to the horses eating grass
and foliage.

3. The teeth of the browsers, such as Mesohippus, were covered with a thick layer
of enamel. The teeth of the modern-day horse, by comparison, have less enamel
and appear to be much wider and flatter. Provide reasons for some of the
changes in teeth.

 Mesohippus teeth change due the changes the way they eat that suits to easily
grind the grasses. Tooth structure also change depending on what they eat. The
teeth on eating grass is said to have an open root wherein nutrients are supplied
so teeth are growing throughout the years
4. Why would changes in the environment have caused changes in the horses’
predators?

 According to Smee (2010) environmental conditions have direct influence

predator’s ability to hunt and detect their prey. In short, their sensor ability
changes as a respond to environmental changes, it negatively affect them
because environmental changes limit their ability to consume prey which might
result to starving or even death

References

Jouba, M. (2013). Evolution of the horse 2 – Development of its

legs. https://www.minnano-jouba.com/mame_chishiki11_en.html

Molen, M. (2009). -32601 -. Creation | Creation Ministries

International. https://creation.com/the-evolution-of-the-horse

Smee, D. L. (2010). https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/environmental-

context-influences-the-outcomes-of-predator-13240808/