Near Wall in Jackson County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Off to the Races

Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, August 10, 2017

1. Off to the Races Marker

Inscription.
Horses have adapted in North America over millions of years. As woodlands changed to grasslands, the dog-sized, primitive horses gradually evolved into the lineage that led to the modern-day horse.

Mesohippus was the first three-toed horse; ancestors to earlier horses had five toes. This is one of the adaptions allowing Mesohippus to have a greater chance of survival on open scrublands.

Horse
Mesohippus

Mesohippus, a three-toed horse, lived in open woodlands here 30 to 37 million years ago. It is an ancestor of the modern-day horse.

Erected by Badlands National Park, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 43° 46.319′ N, 102° 0.228′ W. Marker is near Wall, South Dakota, in Jackson County. Marker is on State Highway 240. This marker is part of the Fossil Trail Exhibit. The Fossil Trail Exhibit is located 5 miles west of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wall SD 57790, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. See Ya Later, Alligator (here, next to this marker);

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Titanic Discovery (a few steps from this marker); Under the Sea (a few steps from this marker); Fight for Survival (within shouting distance of this marker); Dying to Become a Fossil (within shouting distance of this marker); It's a Dog's Life (within shouting distance of this marker); Reading the Rocks (within shouting distance of this marker); What a Find! (within shouting distance of this marker).

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . . Badlands National Park. (Submitted on January 20, 2018, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota.)

Additional keywords. Horse fossils

Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, August 10, 2017

2. Off to the Races Marker

Fossil Trail Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, August 10, 2017

3. Fossil Trail Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 22, 2018. It was originally submitted on January 20, 2018, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 194 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 20, 2018, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. 3. submitted on January 21, 2018, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.