Rare Ichnofossil - Extinct Eohippus (Dawn Horse) Fossil Tracks

This rare ichnofossil plate was collected decades ago from a site that has been only recently rediscovered. Most probably, the area was a near-shore shelf along Uinta Lake that existed during the Eocene.

This plate contains the extremely rare tracks Eohippus (meaning "dawn horse"), that is the earliest known horse . Also called Hyracotherium, this grazing herbivore was the size of a small dog. Another name for this genus is Hyracotherium (meaning "mole beast"). It had 4 hoofed toes on the front feet and 3 hoofed toes on the hind foot. However, the fourth toe on the front foot was higher on the foot and is not likely to leave an impression. Eohippus lived during the early Eocene Epoch, about 50 million years ago and ranged across Asia, Europe, and North America and fossils were first discovered by the famous paleontologist Richard Owen in 1841 who named it Hyracotherium.

Similar small three toed tracks described as extremely rare horse tracks have been found near Soldier Summit as reported in the the Journal of Paleontology (November 1968).

Both the positive and negative impressions will be provided. The impression in the middle of the plate is excellent. The second track is obscured, but still visible.