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Horses, the Fossil Record, and Evolution

A Current Perspective

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Book cover Evolutionary Biology

Part of the book series: Evolutionary Biology ((EBIO,volume 22))

Abstract

When asked to provide evidence of long-term evolution, most scientists turn to the fossil record. Within this context, fossil horses (family Equidae) are among the most frequently cited examples of evolution. The prominent Finnish paleontologist Björn Kurtén wrote (1953, p. 113): “One’s mind inevitably turns to that inexhaustible textbook example, the horse sequence. This has been cited—incorrectly more often than not—as evidence for practically every evolutionary principle that has ever been coined.” This cautionary note notwithstanding, fossil horses do indeed provide compelling evidence in support of evolutionary theory.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida State Museum, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA

    Bruce J. MacFadden

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  1. Bruce J. MacFadden
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA

    Max K. Hecht

  2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

    Bruce Wallace

  3. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, USA

    Ghillean T. Prance

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© 1988 Plenum Press, New York

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MacFadden, B.J. (1988). Horses, the Fossil Record, and Evolution. In: Hecht, M.K., Wallace, B., Prance, G.T. (eds) Evolutionary Biology. Evolutionary Biology, vol 22. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0931-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0931-4_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8251-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0931-4

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