The horse probably lived in grasslands and floodplains, … Hagerman must have had some extensive grasslands to sustain herds of horses. An average Hagerman horse was about the same size as an Arabian horse. To do this, the Hagerman Horse adapted in several ways, such as growing in size compared to the earlier dog-sized horses, losing additional metacarpals to only have one, and developing complex enamel folds to chew their new diet of grasses. Over two hundred individuals of both sexes and all ages were recovered by the Smithsonian. By exploring the story of the Hagerman Horse, you are reading a chapter in the story that is nature. At the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument visitor center, this fossil cast of the Hagerman Horse is one of the three made from a complete skeleton excavated at Hagerman by the Smithsonian. Jana Louise Smit. 17 Fun Appaloosa Horse Facts. What makes the Hagerman Horse so important? Whole skeletons have been excavated from the Hagerman Horse Quarry. Fossils are an important part of geological history. They typically have a coat that is either patterned or spotted. Beyond that, this find was important for another reason. The museum has a fully formed replica of the 3M-year-old Hagerman Horse, as well as other fossils and information about the Pleistocene era in the Hagerman Valley. 10 Species That Are Surprisingly Ancient. . The Hagerman Horse shows that there were native horses here in North America. Notably, paleontologists have found the greatest collection of fossils of the Hagerman horse (also known as the American Zebra, this ancient horse became extinct about 10,000 years ago). Hagerman "Horse" - Equus simplicidens. But they shared the prairie with horses and camels, too- … It also was relatively stocky with a straight shoulder and thick neck, like a zebra, and a short, narrow, donkey-like skull. The monument, with an area of about 7 square miles (18 square km), was established in 1988. Modern horses (and zebras) and all fossil horses of the genus Equus have a single hoof, but horses have been around for 55 million years (for perspective, the dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago) and the ancient ancestors of today's … And that they evolved. Interestingly enough, the Hagerman Horse is the official state fossil of their native Idaho. The Horse Quarry is an area at Hagerman where the largest concentration of fossil horses has been located. Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, paleontological site in southern Idaho, U.S. Fossils in Idaho Idaho also recognizes an official state horse. Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, US Located in Idaho, this landmark is famous for the largest deposit of Hagerman horse (pictured) fossils in North America. December 28, 2016. The National Monument contains the Smithsonian Horse Quarry, a National Natural Landmark, recognized as an important site regarding the fossil history of horses. It is located on the west bank of the Snake River, just west of Hagerman and about 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Boise. Included are complete skeletons as well as skulls, jaws and detached bones. Ice Age Co-Stars: Horses, Camels And Cheetahs Mammoths and saber-toothed cats may be the most famous beasts of the Ice Age. First, the discovery from Hagerman is the largest sample of this extinct species from one locality. The discovery of more than 200 fossils in 1928 on a ranch in Idaho, helped scientists to identify the existence of an animal that has been named the Hagerman Horse for the nearby town of Hagerman.