Is Horse Evolution Divergent?

All other modern forms including the domesticated horse (and many fossil Pliocene and Pleistocene forms) belong to the subgenus E. (Equus) which diverged ~4.8 (3.2–6.5) million years ago.

What type of evolution are horses?

Equus—the genus to which all modern equines, including horses, asses, and zebras, belong—evolved from Pliohippus some 4 million to 4.5 million years ago during the Pliocene. Equus shows even greater development of the spring mechanism in the foot and exhibits straighter and longer cheek teeth.

Are zebras and horses divergent evolution?

Since horses, asses, and zebras, whose evolutionary divergence is relatively recent, show remarkable morphological similarity and capacity to interbreed despite their chromosomes differing considerably, we investigated the role of CR in the karyotype evolution of the genus Equus.

What is horse evolution an example of?

157) stated that: “The most widely cited example of orthogenesis, in any sense of the word, is the evolution of the horse.” The problem with depicting fossil horses as orthogenetic is that, by the early twentieth century, paleontologists understood that, rather than a simple, straight-line sequence (Fig.

What is divergent evolution with example?

In divergent evolution, two or more distinct species share a common ancestor from which they diverged. A common example is a modern elephant and woolly mammoth. They share a common ancestor and yet evolved into two different species. Another example is the dog, the wolf, and the fox.

What is true horse evolution?

The evolution of the horse, a mammal of the family Equidae, occurred over a geologic time scale of 50 million years, transforming the small, dog-sized, forest-dwelling Eohippus into the modern horse.

What is the order of evolution of horses?

Equus is a genus of mammals in the family Equidae, which includes horses, donkeys, and zebras; it appeared 4 – 4.5 million years ago. From the above information, we can conclude that Eohippus, Meshohippus, Merychippus, Equus are the correct sequence form of evolution of horses.

What animals have divergent evolution?

Human and apes evolved from a common primate ancestor. Similarly, wooly mammoth and elephants have diverged from a common ancestor. Divergent evolution is exemplified in the diversity of orchids with different adaptive traits.

When did horses and humans diverge?

about 45,000 YBP
The evolutionary divergence of the two populations was estimated to have occurred about 45,000 YBP, while the archaeological record places the first horse domestication about 5,500 YBP by the ancient central-Asian Botai culture.

Which pair of animals show divergent evolution?

Another good example of divergent evolution is the origin of the domestic dog and the modern wolf. Dogs and wolves both diverged from a common ancestor.

What caused the evolution of horses?

Thus the classic story of horse evolution was formed: as grasslands took over from forests, the horse gradually evolved larger body size (perhaps to better defend against predators), taller-crowned teeth to handle abrasive grasses, and long, monodactyl limbs to race away from predators in their newly open habitat (Fig.

What type of evolution is displayed by horse fossils?

Horse evolution was previously believed to be a linear progress, but after more fossils were discovered, it was determined the evolution of horses was more complex and multi-branched. Horses have evolved from gradual change ( anagenesis ) as well as abrupt progression and division ( cladogenesis ).

Where did horse evolution mostly occur?

Evolution. The very first horses evolved on the North American grasslands over 55 million years ago. Then, they deserted North America and migrated across the Bering land bridge into what is now Siberia. From there, they spread west across Asia into Europe and south to the Middle East and Northern Africa.

What are 3 examples of convergent evolution?

Some Other Examples of Convergent Evolution
The evolution of complex eyes in vertebrates, cephalopods (squid and octopus) and arthropods (crustaceans, insects and spiders). Streamlined body shape of dolphins, sharks and (extinct) ichthyosaurs. The evolution of echolocation in whales and bats.

Is human evolution divergent?

We do know that out of all of the apes, humans are the most closely related to chimpanzees (in fact we share 99% of the same DNA). Around 12 to 13 million years ago, the common ancestor between chimps and humans roamed the earth. Since then, the two lines have diverged.

What is an example of divergence?

Divergence describes how fast the area of your span is changing. For example, imagine that the river gets faster and faster the further you go downstream. Then your friends in front of you will keep getting further and further ahead, and your span stretches out. This is an example of a positive divergence.

Is Eohippus a horse?

Living during the Eocene era approximately 55 to 58 million years ago, Eohippus, the “dawn horse” or more correctly called Hyracotherium, is the most ancient ancestor of today’s horse.

Why did the horse evolve long legs?

Hooves and long legs help horses run farther and faster on the open prairie, helping them flee from predators and find fresh grass for grazing. In the forest, where the ground is softer, many horses retained three toes.

Why did horses evolve to have less toes?

The ancestors of horses (including asses and zebras) had three toes on each foot. Because only single-toed (monodactyl) forms survive today this anatomy has been perceived as a superior evolutionary outcome, enabling horses to outrun predators.

What evolutionary ancestor of the horse was the first to have an actual hoof?

This is where the first true horse started to appear. Say hello to the Dinohippus who had a single hoof for a foot and ate grass. This equine lived 11 to 4 million years ago and is one of the closest relatives to the modern horse.

What animals have convergent evolution?

Examples of convergent evolution include the relationship between bat and insect wings, shark and dolphin bodies, and vertebrate and cephalopod eyes. Analogous structures arise from convergent evolution, but homologous structures do not.