The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1893-05-31
TAE HoRsE.
The Best Point in support of the Evo-
lutionist.

lutton1st.
Written for TIM CHRoNIcLE.J
An item in Saturdays CHRONICLE
about the finding on Chenoweth creek
of the tooth of an ancient horse, has
suggested to me that perhaps it would
be of interest to your readers to know
something of the antecedents of that
most useful and sensible of all animals.
There is little doubt but the horse
originated here, in our own country, as
there are very many evidences to prove.
1t is also almost certain that his ances-
tors existed Tor long ages before his
master, man did.
The earliest remains found which are
clearly defined as belonging to an an
imal of the horse kind, were discovered
few years since by Prof. Marsh of Yale
college. and has been named by him the
eohippus or the eocene horse, from the
lowest eocene beds of Green river,
Wyoming. This animal is many long
ages older than any of the fossils of Or
egon. He had three toes on the hind
foot, and four well developed toes in
functional use on the fore foot, and in
addition on the fore foot, an imperfect
fifth meta-corpal or splint bone with
rudimentary fifth toe like a dew-claw.
He was also found to have two distinct
bones in the leg and forearm, like an
imals with the full mammalian number
of five toes have. This was little
fellow, no larger than a coyote.
Again, in the middle eocene beds, also
of Wyoming near Fort Bridger, is found
the orohippus, also first described by
Prof. Marsh, an animal like the pre-
ceding one in size and structure, except
that the dew-claw or rudimentary toe of
the fore foot is missing, leaving only
four toes on the fore foot. Then next in
the scale of modification, comes the
mesohipphus of the lower miocene
period or the period next succeeding the
eocene. In this one the fourth toe has
become a rudiment or splint. Still
again. in the miocene, the miohippus of
this country, and this is the first we
find here, of which a nearly allied specie
is found in Europe. It has been named
there the anchlthere. In this specie the
rudimentary fourth splint is almost
gone, and the middle hoof is very much
larger, but the two side hoofs are still
in use. The two bones of the leg have
become united, but can be quite plainly
seen as two distinct bones. This one
was about as large as sheep.
Then we have in the upper miocene
and lower pliocene, the protohippus of
this country and his allied kindred of
Europe the hipparion. This one is still
more like the modern horse, both in
size and structure. In this one the
rudimentary fourth toe is entirely gone.
The middle hoof is very much larger,
and the two side hoofs are smaller and
would have been of little use to him ex-
cept in marshy ground. This one was
as large as the modern donkey. Many
fine specimens of this have been found
here in Oregon in our splendid fossil
fields. Then in the pliocene of Oregon
and Nebraska is found the pliohippus,
an almost complete horse. In this one
the hoofs have been reduced by nature
to one, but still the splint bones are
quite well developed, and are somewhat
larger than in our modern genus called
equus. It only differs from our modern
horse in the skull, shape of the hoof,
and length of the molar teeth, and in
some quite unimportant details.
The line of descent in the horse has
been so rapidly traced as to leave no
doubt but that the noble animal that
now SO faithfully does our bidding, orig
mated from the little eohippus of the
dark, dim and distant age passed SO long
ago as to be almost beyond the mind of
man-the sometimes cruel master of
this wonderful creature of God.
might mention in conclusion, that
the descent of the camel-an animal next
to the horse most useful to man-has
been traced back to an age almost as
distinct as that of the horse, and all
evidence tends to show that both of
these useful creatures originated on this
continent. A strange circumstance, but
these old records tell more truthful tales
than man will ever write. L. S. D.
First-class cabinet photos, SO cents
per dozen, at Herrin's gallery. First
prize taken at Wasco county fair for
best portrait views.