Timing Complicates History of Horses

Abstract

SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY MEETINGDENVER, COLORADO-- Almost 1000 paleontologists and enthusiasts met here from 3 to 6 November for the 64th annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Researchers reported that it took 4 million years after grasses began to dominate the Great Plains for high-crowned cheek teeth, which have long been considered a response to a changing environment, to appear in herbivores--a puzzling lag.