Two skulls of the newly identified genus Harringtonhippus excavated from sites in Nevada (top) and Texas (bottom)ERIC SCOTT, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SAN BERNARDINOThe extinct New World stilt-legged horse was previously believed to be a close relative of living horse populations. But analyzing DNA from fossils found in sites in the Western US as well as Canada's Yukon territory, scientists have identified a new genus, Haringtonhippus, which is distinct any known living population of horse.
P.D. Heintzman et al., “New genus of horse from Pleistocene North America,” eLife, doi:10.7554/eLife.29944, 2017.
Interested in reading more?
The Scientist ARCHIVES
Become a Member of
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
