Fun Protorohippus Facts For Kids

Moumita Dutta
Oct 20, 2022 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Feb 28, 2022
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Sakshi Raturi
Fascinating Protorohippus facts include the location, eating habits, and appearance of the species.

Protorohippus or Orohippus, an Eocene-era extinct progenitor of the horse that used to exist around 56-34 million years ago. This was a primitive horse mammal from mainly the Early and Middle Eocene with four complete toes in the forefoot and three in the hindfoot.

Its kingdom is Animalia, and they are from the subkingdom of Bilateria, which is part of the Infrakingdom of Deuterostomia. Its phylum is Chordata, whose subphylum is Vertebrata.

The Megaclass of these animals include Osteichthyes; the Superclass represents Sarcopterygii. When it comes to their Order, it is derived from Perissodactyla and the Family Equidae. They had low crowned teeth, and their eye sockets were incomplete bony rims.

While they thrived in North America throughout the early Eocene Epoch (56 million-33.9 million years ago), interestingly, many Equidae family fossils have been found all across Europe.

Protorohippus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Protorohippus'?

It is pronounced as 'Pro-toh-re-hipis'.

What type of dinosaur was a Protorohippus?

The Protorohippus was not really a dinosaur and more an ancestor of the modern horse.

In which geological period did the Protorohippus roam the Earth?

The Protorohippus used to live in the Eocene epoch.

When did the Protorohippus become extinct?

We, unfortunately, do not know when these dinosaurs went extinct.

Where did Protorohippus live?

They were found in the middle Eocene in North America.

What was the Protorohippus' habitat?

They are thought to be herbivores, and thus, it is assumed that they inhabited terrestrial land.

Who did the Protorohippus live with?

Again, we do not have information about how these creatures lived.

How long did a Protorohippus live?

Due to the fact that these animals went extinct millions of years ago, their lifespan is really difficult to assume.

How did they reproduce?

The method of their reproduction is not really known.

Protorohippus Fun Facts

What did the Protorohippus look like?

They were like horse-liked creatures; basically, they were unevolved horses. This was a genus of American Eocene animals related to horses, but with four toes in front and three toes in the hind foot.

*We've been unable to source an image of Protorohippus and have used an image of Lesothosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Protorohippus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com

How many bones did a Protorohippus have?

Due to a lack of data, the total number of bones in Protorohippus is not really known.

How did they communicate?

Again, by looking at evolution, these prehistoric animals probably communicated with each other via vocal communications.

How big was the Protorohippus?

They were supposedly around 2 ft (0.6 m) in length and 1.67 ft (0.5 m) tall. Modern horses are almost double their size.

How fast could a Protorohippus move?

Unfortunately, there is concrete evidence to draw a conclusion on how fast these prehistoric animals could run.

How much did a Protorohippus weigh?

Again, not much is known about the weight of these creatures.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no distinct names to address the males and females of this species.

What would you call a baby Protorohippus?

If they were alive, a young Protorohippus would simply be called juvenile.

How aggressive were they?

From the fossil and the data available to them, researchers haven't been able to understand whether these creatures were aggressive or not. However, considering the fact that they were thought to be herbivores, it is quite possible that they were not that aggressive.

Did You Know…

The fossil remains of this creature were discovered sometime around the late 19th century in parts of North America, especially the Green River Formation in Wyoming.

Interestingly, the descendants of these creatures lived in the Middle Miocene period as well.

We know that various horselike creatures evolved in South America, but they all died out for one reason or another, one of which being soft teeth.

*We've been unable to source an image of Protorohippus and have used an image of Styracosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Protorohippus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.

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Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

Moumita Dutta picture

Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

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Fact-checked by Sakshi Raturi

Postgraduate Diploma in Management

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Sakshi RaturiPostgraduate Diploma in Management

Sakshi has experience in marketing strategy, social media planning, and recruiting industry experts for capstone projects, she has displayed a commitment to enhancing their skills and knowledge. She has won multiple awards, including a Certificate of Appreciation for Creative Writing and a Certificate of Merit for Immaculate Turut, and is always seeking new opportunities to grow and develop.

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