The distant ancestors of modern horses had hooved toes | HeritageDaily

According to researchers, the ancient ancestors of contemporary horses possessed multiple hooved toes instead of a single hoof, which gradually disappeared over time.

Ancestors such as Eocene Hyracotherium exhibited foot structures resembling those of present-day tapirs, featuring four toes at the front and three at the back. Each toe was equipped with its own hoof and supported by an underlying foot pad.

In contrast, contemporary equids such as horses, asses, and zebras possess a solitary toe, which is a remnant of the original third toe on each foot. This lone toe is protected by a…