Equus

The genus Equus encompasses all modern horses, zebras, and asses, belonging to the mammal family Equidae. The evolutionary history of the horse, a well-documented lineage, began in the Eocene Epoch with Eohippus (dawn horse), a small, four-toed browser. Over millions of years, horses evolved, increasing in size, reducing the number of toes, developing longer legs, and adapting to a grazing diet with specialized teeth.12345

The genus Equus itself emerged from Pliohippus approximately 4 to 4.5 million years ago. This genus successfully spread across continents but later became extinct in the Americas, only to be reintroduced by Europeans. Today, Equus includes various species of horses, zebras, and asses, each adapted to different habitats, with grasses forming a significant part of their diet.451267