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Hippidion (meaning "little horse" in Ancient Greek) is an extinct genus of Equinae that lived in South America from the Late Pliocene to the end of the Late Pleistocene (Lujanian), between 2.5 million and 11,000 years ago. Hippidion arrived in South America along with many other animals of North American origin as part of the Great American Interchange. They were one of two lineages of equines native to South America during the Pleistocene epoch, alongside Equus neogeus. Hippidion ranged widely over South America, extending to the far south of Patagonia. Hippidion differs from living equines of the genus Equus in having a long notch separating the nasal bone from the rest of the skull, which may indicate the presence of a prehensile upper lip.
Hippidion became extinct as part of the end-Pleistocene extinction event around 12-11,000 years ago, along with most other large animals native to the Americas. Remains of Hippidion dating to shortly before its extinction have been found with cut marks and associated with human artifacts, such as stone Fishtail points, which may suggest that hunting by Paleo-Indians may have been a factor in its extinction.
Hippidion is part of a distinct lineage of equines belonging to the tribe Equini that are suggested to have diverged from the ancestors of living equines of the genus Equus at least 6 million years ago. The earliest members of the Hippidion lineage are known from the Late Miocene of North America .MacFadden, B. J., and M. Skinner. 1979. Diversification and biogeography of the one-toed horses Onohippidium and Hippidion. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History Postilla 175:1–9. Hippidion migrated into the South American continent at the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition, around 2.5 million years ago as part of the Great American Biotic Interchange, following the formation of the Isthmus of Panama connecting North and South America during the late Pliocene. with the hippidiform lineage becoming extinct in North America during the Early Pleistocene. It is disputed as to whether Hippidion is an exclusively South American genus or whether remains from North America are attributable to it.
Hippidion is traditionally thought to have 3 species, H. principale, H. saldiasi and H. devillei, however, in a 2015 DNA analysis, the single sampled H. principale specimen was found to be nested with H. saldiasi, while H. devillei was found to be clearly genetically distinct.
|right]] Isotopic evidence from δ13C suggests that Hippidion consumed plants of either C3 or mixed C3 and C4 type carbon fixation. The δ13C values are consistent with the occupation of woodland and wooded grassland habitats. H. principale is suggested to have been a mixed feeder (both browsing and grazing), as opposed to the grazing diet of the contemporary Equus neogeus. Hippidion has been suggested to have probably lived in herds like living equines.
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