Protohippus fossil map
Where fossils of Protohippus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 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 15 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 | (Leidy 1858) |
| Fossil records | 190 occurrences at 57 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Costa Rica |
| Rock formations | txn:42984, Valentine, Ash Hollow, Fleming, Ogallala, Alachua |
About Protohippus
Protohippus is an extinct three-toed genus of horse. It was roughly the size of a modern donkey. Fossil evidence suggests that it lived during the Late Miocene (Clarendonian to Hemphillian), from about 13.6 Ma to 5.3 Ma.
Analysis of Protohippus' skull and teeth suggests that it is most closely related to the genus Calippus.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Protohippus (revision 1252655071), 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: Q3408120.
