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Mesohippus lived during the Oligocene Period, some 25 to 40 million years ago. It had longer legs than Eohippus and stood about two feet tall. It had also lost a toe and now stood predominantly on its middle toe, although the other two were also used. The face of Mesohippus began to lengthen and increased in size. It had a slight facial fossa, or depression in the skull. The eyes grew rounder and were set wider apart and farther back.
Its teeth also grew larger and contained a single gap behind the front teeth, which is where the bit now rests in the modern equine. In addition, it had another grinding tooth, with a total of six. Like Eohippus, Mesohippus was a browser who fed on tender twigs and fruit. The cerebral hemisphere, or cranial cavity, was notably larger; its brain was like that of today's equine. However, Mesohippus had died out by the mid-Oligocene period.
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