Eohippus

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈiːəʊˌhɪpəs/

Definitions

1. An ancient horse-like animal from the Eocene period is known for its significance in studies of evolutionary biology as a progenitor of contemporary horse species
2. This small, early equine ancestor from about 50 million years ago plays a crucial role in understanding the evolution and adaptation of horses over time
3. A prehistoric equid from the Eocene epoch serves as an important link in tracing the evolutionary lineage of modern horses and understanding their development

Etymology: The name sounds like an ancient Greek word for a prehistoric horse, but the Greek parts were assembled by a scientist in the 19th century. "Eohippus" was coined in New Latin as a genus name, joining the Greek "ēōs," meaning "dawn," with "hippos," meaning "horse." The result was a name meaning roughly "dawn horse," given to the small creature whose fossils revealed the early ancestry of modern horses. The first half of the name is easy to misread. Its "eo-" is a Greek-derived prefix that signals the Eocene, but the link is not a perfect match, since the Greek word for dawn was the source. Scientists chose the word for its suggestion of a horse appearing at the beginning of things, a fitting image for a creature standing near the start of the horse family tree. Because the name is a technical coinage, no ancient Greek or Roman speaker ever used it. Its meaning comes entirely from the choice of its classical components, and the later horse genus name "Equus" replaced it in popular use as the fossil record grew clearer.