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Question: Answered & Verified by Expert
Assertion : The earliest fossil form in the phylogeny of horse is eohippus.
Reason : Eohippus lived during the early pliocene epoch.
BiologyEvolutionAIIMSAIIMS 2007
Options:
  • A If both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion
  • B If both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion
  • C If assertion is true but reason is false
  • D If both assertion and reason are false.
Solution:
2557 Upvotes Verified Answer
The correct answer is: If assertion is true but reason is false
The evolution of horses could be erroneously depicted as an undeviating straight line progression from the small, terriero (small dog of various breeds) sized Hydracotherium eohippus to the large modem horse, Equus eohippus originated from Eocene period. Eohippus (meaning "dawn horse") was the earliestknown horse. It was the size of a tiny dog. Another name for this genus is Hyracotherium (meaning "mole beast"). Eohippus was only 2 feet \((60 \mathrm{~cm})\) long and 8 to 9 inches \((20 \mathrm{~cm})\) high at the shoulder. This primitive horse had 4 hoofed toes on the front feet and 3 hoofed ant on each hind foot. It had a long skull with 44 longcrowned teeth. Eohippus was a grazing herbivore that ate soft leaves and plant shoots. Eohippus lived during the early Eocene Epoch, about 50 million years ago. The major stages in evolution of horse are : (i) eohippus, (ii)mesohippus, (iii) merychippus, (iv) pliohippus, and (v) equus.

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