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Western Horse
The Western horse (Equus sp.) was one of the last horse species native to North America. Like most of the large Rancho La Brea animals, it became extinct about 10,000 years ago. Horses originated in North America over fifty million years ago and later migrated to other parts of the world. Their earliest ancestors were only about the size of small dogs. Why the Western horse became extinct is something of a mystery. Domesticated horses were reintroduced into North America by the Spanish only 500 years ago.
Because the ravages of time often leave little of the hair or skin of animals, paleontologists are sometimes forced to make educated guesses as to what the coat color or pattern of an ancient animal might have been. Select this text to see a more colorful guess as to what the Western horse might have looked like.
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