[Virginia-American]

Yes. It's like one of the evo's favorite examples...the evolution of the horse. Ancient fossils of proto-horse are a tiny, cat-like animal. Later fossils are of bigger animals. This, then proves evolution. Not really. It is like saying that a clydesdale evolved from a shetland pnoy, just because one is larger than the other.

With the *minor* little difference that the various eohippi, mesohippi, etc,etc, appear in a definite order in the strata. At the time of eohippus there were no mesohippi, etc.

If you take a deserted island suitable for horses, and release 100 Shetland mares and 100 Clydesdale stallions (or vice versa) would there be any mating and any viable offspring? (Serious question, I don't know the answer, thinking of the attempted mating gives me the willies).

My *guess* is that horses (and also dogs) are an example of ring species, where the smalest can mate with the next-smalest, etc, but the largest and smallest are too far apart to mate.

[AndrewC]

My *guess* is that horses (and also dogs) are an example of ring species

We are also a ring species.