Astrohippus fossil map
Where fossils of Astrohippus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 5 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04–4.7 million years ago (Aquitanian to Zanclean) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Equidae |
| Named by | (Stirton 1940) |
| Fossil records | 72 occurrences at 32 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Mexico |
| Rock formations | txn:42984, Rancho Viejo Beds, Ogallala, Peace River, Ash Hollow, Goodnight Beds |
About Astrohippus
Astrohippus 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.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Astrohippus (revision 1377099319), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q779260.
