Question

What are HORSES adapted for? (page 1)

Illuminate (investigate, illustrate {draw, diagram, print}, describe, and explain) what scientists have discovered regarding the adaptations/ adaptive complexes present in modern HORSES (genus Equus, horses, zebras)

1. Locomotor system (quadrupedal, functionally monodactyl, unguligrade cursors)

2. Masticatory (chewing) system (cheeks, tongue, jaws, jaw muscles, dentition, etc.)

3.Visual system (eyes: pupil, lense, retina, tapetum lucidum, etc. ALSO: orbit placement, visual field, etc.)

4.Auditory (hearing) system (pinnae {external ears}, ear tube, ear drum, ear ossicles, inner ear {especially the cochlea and auditory nerves}

Answer 1

Ans . The Shoulder muscles of the horse have a small mechanical advantage and are therefore adapted to produce rapid movements of the limb.

The Horse , like other grazing hervibores , has typical adaptations for plant eating: a set of strong , high- crowned teeth, suited to grinding grasses and other harse vegetation, and a relatively long digestive tract, most of which is intestine concerned with digesting cellulose matter from vegetation.

Horses grew taller , and their legs and feet became better adapted to sprinting in open grasslands. Their eyes also adapted to be further back on their heads to help them to see more of the area around them.

Horses's ears are forward, backward or sideways and conical and always active. A horse points his ears at whatever he is looking at. Horse ear can move 180 degrees using 10 different muscles ( compared to 3 muscles for the human ear) and are able to single out a specific area to listen to.