Hippidion fossil map
Where fossils of Hippidion have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 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 0 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 | 9.4 million years ago to the present (Tortonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Equidae |
| Named by | Owen 1869 |
| Fossil records | 202 occurrences at 83 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, United States, Venezuela |
| Rock formations | txn:42984, Tarija, Sopas, Dolores, Palm Spring, Nuapua |
About Hippidion
Hippidion (meaning "little horse" in Ancient Greek) is an extinct genus of equine that lived in South America from the Late Pliocene to the end of the Late Pleistocene (Lujanian), between 2.5 million and 11,000 years ago. Hippidion arrived in South America along with many other animals of North American origin as part of the Great American Interchange. They were one of two lineages of equines native to South America during the Pleistocene epoch, alongside Equus (Amerhippus) neogeus. Hippidion ranged widely over South America, extending to the far south of Patagonia. Hippidion differs from living equines of the genus Equus in having a long notch separating the nasal bone from the rest of the skull, which may indicate the presence of a prehensile upper lip.
Hippidion became extinct as part of the end-Pleistocene extinction event around 12-11,000 years ago, along with most other large animals native to the Americas. Remains of Hippidion dating to shortly before its extinction have been found with cut marks and associated with human artifacts, such as stone Fishtail points, which may suggest that hunting by recently arrived humans may have been a factor in its extinction.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hippidion (revision 1370826131), 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: Q133193.
