Agricultural geology . nsis. According to Ewart, E. stenonis, which waswidely distributed over Europe and North Africa in Pliocenetimes, probably had an important share in the making of themodern Shires and other heavy breeds, the latter being themodern representatives of the forest type called by EwartEquus robustus. The Equus agilis of Ewart was a smaller horse with slenderlimbs. In the metacarpals and in the pillars of the molarteeth it differed but httle from the Pliohippus of the Mioceneand early Pliocene periods. It is supposed to have given rise tothe modern Celtic ponies and other hors
Agricultural geology . nsis. According to Ewart, E. stenonis, which waswidely distributed over Europe and North Africa in Pliocenetimes, probably had an important share in the making of themodern Shires and other heavy breeds, the latter being themodern representatives of the forest type called by EwartEquus robustus. The Equus agilis of Ewart was a smaller horse with slenderlimbs. In the metacarpals and in the pillars of the molarteeth it differed but httle from the Pliohippus of the Mioceneand early Pliocene periods. It is supposed to have given rise tothe modern Celtic ponies and other horses of the plateautype referred to below. Coming to Pleistocene and Recent times we find evidenceof the existence of at least three species of horses. Of these Ewart, The possible Ancestors of the Horses hving under Domestication,Proc. Royal Soc. B, vol. Lxxxi, 1909. The Origin of the Clydesdale,Trans. Highland and Agric. Soc. 1911. ^ Lydekker, The Horse and its Relatives, London, 1912. XVIl] OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS 309. Fig. 46. Bones of forefeet of extinct forerunners of the Horse. A, Hyracotherium orEohippus; B, Mesohippus; C, Merychippus or Protohippus; D, Hipparion.(From Lydekker.) 310 THE GEOLOGICAL HISTORY [ch. one only, the Steppe Horse of Mongolia, or E. przevalsJcii, stillsurvives in the wild state. This species is characterized by a long narrow face, largenasal chambers, a Roman-nose, a long pillar on the premolarand first molar teeth, a short back, clean limbs, close hocks,elongated hoofs, large hind-chestnuts, and a mule-hke tail seton high up. It is highly specialized for a steppe life. Thecharacteristic colour is a yellow dun. Horses of this type havebeen found fossil in the Roman camp at Newstead. In the forest type (E. robustus, Ewart) the face is short andbroad and in a line with the cranium, the internal pillar on themolars is large, the middle metacarpal is short and wide, theback is long, the hindquarters are rounded, the hoofs are broad,the hind-chestnuts a
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