Why is eohippus(scientifically hydracotherium) called the dawn horse?

Question

Why is eohippus(scientifically hydracotherium) called the dawn horse?

Answer 1

it was 3rd type of horse in its evolution series.

it was short heighted and looked liked a pony.  today the spieces found are 5th type.

there were also diff foot patterns in it

Answer 2

I believe it's "dawn" as in "beginning." It was one of the first, if not the first, horse-like animal. ("Eo" is Greek for dawn and "hippos" is Greek for horse.)

Answer 3

The genetic ancestor of today's Horse is the Eohippus (hippus is Latin for horse). So 40 to 60 million years ago, there weren't any horses, but a small animal that looked like today's horse.

Over the year it has evolved to nowadays horses. Therefor, the Eohippus is called the dawn horse.

Answer 4

It was once considered to be the earliest known member of the horse family