Hand-painted cast of an adult early equid found at the Messel Pit fossil site in Hesse, Germany. The animal is approximately the size of a fox and has clearly apparent four-toed front feet and three-toed back feet. It has historically been seen as a forerunner of the modern horse and is often put at the start of the evolutionary chain which leads to the present-day equines. The item itself may differ in color from that shown in the photograph.
Discovery site: Messel Pit, Germany
Age: approx. 47 million years (Middle Eocene)
Dimensions: approx. 51.5x37.5 cm²
Weight: approx. 2.8 kg