Hipparion fossil map
Where fossils of Hipparion 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 | 23.04–0.0117 million years ago (Aquitanian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Equidae |
| Named by | de Christol 1832 |
| Fossil records | 1,308 occurrences at 428 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Ethiopia, Greece, Kenya, China, United States, Tanzania, Spain, Ukraine, Uganda, Türkiye … |
| Rock formations | txn:42984, Shungura, Koobi Fora, Vogel River Series, Bahe, Nkondo |
About Hipparion
Hipparion is an extinct genus of three-toed, medium-sized equine belonging to the extinct tribe Hipparionini, which lived about 10-5 million years ago. While the genus formerly included most hipparionines, the genus is now more narrowly defined as hipparionines from Eurasia spanning the Late Miocene. Hipparion was a mixed-feeder who ate mostly grass, and lived in the savannah biome. Hipparion evolved from Cormohipparion, and went extinct due to environmental changes like cooling climates and decreasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hipparion (revision 1370053161), 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: Q971275.
