The Rise of Horses 55 Million Years of Evolution

About this book

In this title, one of the world's leading experts on horse evolution traces the rise of the domesticated horse, Equus caballus, and its extant relatives and extinct ancestors. Long domesticated, related to rhinoceroses, and descended from a creature the size of a hare, horses are a fascinating study in evolution. Jens Franzen's account explores the early evolution and eventual diversification of horse anatomy to explain how and why these once widespread and varied mammals became the common horses, zebras, and asses we know today.

Beginning with their evolutionary rise roughly 55 million years ago, Franzen traces a history etched in fossils. He identifies the points at which changing environments led some horse ancestors to adapt and thrive – and why most failed and are now extinct. In presenting this story, Franzen hews closely to the Frankfurt theory of evolution and explains how it applies to the wide variations in the evolution of horse species. Accessibly written and featuring full-colour photographs and illustrations throughout, The Rise of Horses is the complete chronicle of the evolution of the equids.

Contents

Preface to the English Edition

1. Prologue
2. Introduction
3. The Depths of Time
4. Europe in the Eocene
5. The Dawn Horses of the Morning Cloud
6. Constructions and Functions
7. Discovering Horse Evolution
8. Evolution and Expansion of the Horses
9. Pseudo Horses and Relatives of Horses
10. The Ice Age and the Roots of Modern Horses
11. Conclusion

Exhibits on the Evolution of Horses
Further Reading
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Jens Lorenz Franzen is the former head of the Department of Paleoanthropology and Quartenary Paleontology at the Natural History Museum in Senckenberg, Germany. He has published hundreds of articles on fossils and evolution and is widely recognized as a leading expert on horse evolution.