From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Equidae (sometimes known as the horse family) is the taxonomic family of horses and related animals, including the extant horses, donkeys, and zebras, and many other species known only from fossils. All extant species are in the genus Equus. Equidae belongs to the order Perissodactyla, which includes the extant tapirs and rhinoceros, and still more fossils.

The term equid refers to any member of this family, including any equine.

Evolution

The oldest known fossils assigned to Equidae date from the early Eocene, 54 million years ago. They formerly were assigned to the genus Hyracotherium (sometimes known as Eohippus), but the type species of that genus now is regarded to be not a member of this family (see Hyracotherium). These early Equidae were fox-sized animals with three toes on the hind feet, and four on the front feet. They were herbivorous browsers on relatively soft plants, and already adapted for running. The complexity of their brains suggest that they already were alert and intelligent animals.^[1] Later species reduced the number of toes, and developed teeth more suited for grinding up grasses and other tough plant food.

The family became relatively diverse during the Miocene, with many new species appearing. By this time, equids were more truly horse-like, having developed the typical body shape of the modern animals. Many of these species bore the main weight of their bodies on their central, third, toe, with the others becoming reduced, and barely touching the ground, if at all. The sole surviving genus, Equus, had evolved by the early Pleistocene, and spread rapidly though the world.^[2]

Classification

Hyracotherium

Orohippus

Hypohippus

Mesohippus

Hipparion

Equus (Przewalski's horse)

• Order Perissodactyla (In addition to Equidae, Perissodactyla includes four species of tapir in a single genus, as well as five living species (belonging to four genera) of rhinoceros.) † indicates extinct taxa.
  • Family Equidae
    • Subfamily †Hyracotheriinae
      • Genus †Epihippus
      • Genus †Haplohippus
      • Genus †Heptaconodon
      • Genus †Hyracotherium (possibly paraphyletic with some species belonging to the family †Palaeotheriidae)
      • Genus †Orohippus
      • Genus †Xenicohippus
    • Subfamily †Anchitheriinae
      • Genus †Anchitherium
      • Genus †Archaeohippus
      • Genus †Desmatippus
      • Genus †Hypohippus
      • Genus †Kalobatippus
      • Genus †Megahippus
      • Genus †Mesohippus
      • Genus †Miohippus
      • Genus †Parahippus
      • Genus †Sinohippus
    • Subfamily Equinae
      • Genus †Merychippus
      • Tribe †Hipparionini
        • Genus †Eurygnathohippus
        • Genus †Hipparion
        • Genus †Hippotherium
        • Genus †Nannippus
        • Genus †Neohipparion
        • Genus †Pseudhipparion
      • Tribe Equini
        • Genus †Astrohippus
        • Genus †Calippus
        • Genus †Dinohippus
        • Genus Equus (22 species, 7 extant)
        • Genus †Hippidion
        • Genus †Onohippidium
        • Genus †Pliohippus
        • Genus †Protohippus
    • Genus †Acritohippus
    • Genus †Eurohippus
    • Genus †Heteropliohippus
    • Genus †Parapliohippus
    • Genus †Proboscidipparion

References

Equine Equine science and management Equine anatomy · Equine nutrition · Horse behavior · Horse care · Horse breeding · Equine conformation · Equine coat color · Horse gait Equestrianism and sport Glossary of equestrian terms · Horse tack · Bit · Bridle · Saddle · Harness · English riding · Western riding · Driving · Horse training · Horse racing · Equestrian at the Summer Olympics · Horse show · Equitation Evolution and history Domestication · In warfare · In the Middle Ages · Horses in East Asian warfare · History of the horse in South Asia · Horses in the Napoleonic Wars · Horses in World War I · Horses in World War II Horse breeds, types and other Equidae Horses List of horse breeds · Wild horse · Feral horse · Stock horse · Gaited horse · Draft horse · Warmblood · Sport horse Other Equus Donkey · Zebra · Onager Hybrids Hinny · Mule · Zebroid Category: Equidae

From LoveToKnow 1911

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Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Translingual

Etymology

From the stem of Equus (a genus) + -idae (a zoological family name suffix).

Proper noun

Equidae

1. A taxonomic family within order Perissodactyla, all extant members in genus Equus.

Derived terms

• equid

Translations

External links

Wikipedia has an article on:

Equidae

Wikipedia

See also

• Anchilophus
• Anchitherium
• Archaeohippus
• Astrohippus
• Calippus
• Cormohipparion
• Dinohippus
• Epihippus
• Equus
• Eurohippus
• Haplohippus
• Hipparion
• Hippidion
• Hypohippus
• Hyracotherium
• Lophiotherium
• Megahippus
• Merychippus
• Mesohippus
• Miohippus
• Nannippus
• Neohipparion
• Onohippidium
• Orohippus
• Pachynolophus
• Paleotherium
• Parahipparion
• Parahippus
• Pliohippus
• Propachynolophus
• Propalaeotherium
• Pseudohipparion
• Scaphohippus
• Sinohippus
• Stylohipparion

From Wikispecies

Equus caballus

Taxonavigation

Main Page
Cladus: Eukaryota
Supergroup: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Theria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Ordo: Perissodactyla
Superfamilia: Equoidea
Familia: Equidae
Subfamiliae: †Anchitheriinae - Equinae - †Hyracotheriinae - incertae sedis

References

• Equidae on Mammal species of the World.
  Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).

Vernacular names

For more multimedia, look at Equidae on Wikimedia Commons.