The earliest forms of horses were very small, which is ironic considering how large modern horses can get. Among these early horses was Propalaeotherium, a tiny mammal that fed on plants and lived in herds. These small horses were unfortunately the primary prey for many of the large predators that lived around them.

Basic info

Meaning of name: Propalaeotherium means "before Palaeotherium".

Time of existence: Propalaeotherium lived in the early Eocene, 56 million to 47.8 million years.

Diet: Propalaeotherium fed on plants around them, and it's in fact known that they fed on grapes, as many specimens were discovered with traces of alcohol in their systems.

Threats: Propalaeotherium was unforunately common prey for the many large predatory birds and mammals that lived around them.

Size: Propalaeotherium only grew from 30 to 60 centimeters high at the shoulder.

Attributes: Unlike its later relatives, Propalaeotherium did not have hooves, but instead had four hoof-like toes. They were also decently fast animals, which would help them flee from the many predators that hunted them. They also had very good hearing and a very good sense of smell.

A herd of Propalaeotherium

Appearances in the Walking with... series

Walking with Beasts

Propalaeotherium appears twice in the opening, both being attacked by Gastornis, where it is seen being shaken and then dropped.

Propalaeotherium's first appearance in the opening

Propalaeotherium's second appearance in the opening

Episode 1-New Dawn

Propalaeotherium is a recurring creature seen throughout the episode. They first appear in the opening synopsis, where a herd is seen eating before one gets startled and runs away. Propalaeotherium is first seen in the actual episode during the early morning, where one is seen drinking before getting startled by the impact of a small meteorite.

A Propalaeotherium being startled by a meteorite

A Propalaeotherium is next seen during the morning, where it is seen arriving at a lake to drink. However, it is ambushed by a hungry Ambulocetus, although the small horse is able to escape and flees deep into the forest. Come mid-afternoon, a herd of Propalaeotherium is seen foraging through the forest floor for grapes, while also constantly being on the lookout for predators. We are told that these animals are ancestors to horses, albeit tiny ones. As the herd feeds, a Gastornis stalks them. However, a helicoptor seed lands near one of the horses, startling it and sparking a chain reaction of the others fleeing as well, with the Gastornis squawking in annoyance. Come mid-afternoon, the Propalaeotherium are once again seen foraging the forest floor for grapes, and a passing pair of monkeys knock a flower near one of them, though it doesn't run. It is revealed that because they have eaten so many grapes, the horses have gotten drunk off of the small amounts of alcohol in them, making them less alert. Unfortunately for them, they are being stalked by the Gastornis. As one of the Propalaeotherium watches for danger, the Gastornis charges out of the undergrowth and grabs it, shaking it in its beak and breaking its spine before dropping it and beginning to feed on it. Once midnight arrives, a massive gas cloud bursts from the nearby lake, and a herd of Propalaeotherium is seen fleeing alongside some monkeys. One Propalaeotherium, however, is too slow, and suffocates to death, with its corpse being illuminated in the rising sun.