Nannippus is an extinct
genus of three-toed
horse endemic to
North America during the
Miocene through
Pleistocene, about 13.3—1.8 million years ago (Mya), living around 11.5 million years.[1][2][3] This ancient species of three-toed horse grew up to 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) and weighed between 165 pounds to 199 pounds, which was around the same size as a
domestic sheep.[4][5]
Nannippus lived as far south as central Mexico (N. peninsulatus) to as far north as
Canada (N. lenticularis), to
California in the west, and
North Carolina (N. lenticularis) and
Florida (N. peninsulatus) in the east. Unlike its relatives, Nannippus, as well as all other three-toed horses endemic to North America, were browsers and mixed feeders that had diets consisting of
C3 plants.[6]
Species
N. aztecus Mooser, 1968.[7] Widespread in Florida and also found in Texas, Oklahoma, and
Chihuahua, became extinct 11.2—5.7 Mya.[8]
N. beckensis Dalquest and Donovan, 1973[9] found in
Texas only and became extinct about 3.4 Mya.
^E. H. Sellards. 1916. Fossil vertebrates from Florida: A new Miocene fauna; new Pliocene species; the Pleistocene fauna. Florida State Geological Survey Annual Report 8:79-119
^W. W. Dalquest and T. J. Donovan (1973). "A new three-toed horse (Nannippus) from the late Pliocene of Scurry County, Texas". Journal of Paleontology. 47 (1): 34–45.