Theory How did pegasi and unicorns evolve from horses?

[HorsesandMOARGaloar 300]

NOTE: THE PEGASI AND UNICORNS IN THIS THREAD ARE NOT RELATED TO THOSE IN EQUESTRIA, BUT IN EARTH MYTHOLOGY.

 

 

If such creatures did exist, then can you explain how did they evolve from actual horses? What kinds of circumstances/adaptions/mutations could cause things like this?

[SilverStarApple 849]

Narwhals.

 

A narwhal saw a horse, and decided it was time for some Hot Skitty On Wailord Action.

[Unikitty 1,212]

Well, drawing from the standard design of evolution, I would suggest that horses, pegasus, and unicorns all derived from a common ancestor - as opposed to pegasus and unicorns being evolutionary branches of the modern horse. Following this theory, it's easy to suggest an environmental change resulted in the specific developments.

 

I'd like to quickly point out that Pegasus is a single creature, and that they're not a breeding species. I also acknowledge that the point of the thread is to ask 'what if'; so refer to the prior paragraph.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Unikitty

[HorsesandMOARGaloar 300]

Well, drawing from the standard design of evolution, I would suggest that horses, pegasus, and unicorns all derived from a common ancestor - as opposed to pegasus and unicorns being evolutionary branches of the modern horse. Following this theory, it's easy to suggest an environmental change resulted in the specific developments.

 

I'd like to quickly point out that Pegasus is a single creature, and that they're not a breeding species. I also acknowledge that the point of the thread is to ask 'what if'; so refer to the prior paragraph.

What kind of environmental changes? Can you please elaborate to me?

[Unikitty 1,212]

Well, I suppose that a Pegasus could become so in a place of mountain ranges, or where traversing by foot(hoof) is particularly difficult, favouring flight.
A unicorn may have developed it's horn as a weapon in order to defend against predators(bears, wolves, etc. that would live in a wooded habitat).

[RainbowPastel 185]

Adaptation?

 

Like how did we evolve from apes?

[Unikitty 1,212]

Adaptation?

 

Like how did we evolve from apes?

{obligatory "We didn't 'evolve from apes'. We simply shared a common ancestor with the modern primate" post}.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Unikitty

[Fizz. 1,078]

I'd say an alicorn would be a fair common ancestor =3 Pegasi would live in the sky and all, so their horns would be less important. Unicorns would evolve from the alicorns that relied more on horns than wings.

[ShadowPirateX 600]

 

Or maybe they just evolved for different lifestyles, evolved from ancestral alicorns or got caught by a mad scientist.

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,463]

I'd say an alicorn would be a fair common ancestor =3 Pegasi would live in the sky and all, so their horns would be less important. Unicorns would evolve from the alicorns that relied more on horns than wings.

I second this; When you think about all the different types of, let's say ants for now, they must have had one common ancestor. Now that ancestor may or may not have had characteristics that the original had, but they had to derive from something or other; The alicorns make for a good catalyst in this case

[Nulln 755]

Unicorns have been documented by naturalists since the 1600's.  I don't think they're evolved from horses, they'd be a separate species altogether, since horses don't grow horns or antlers.

 

Pegasi are from Greek mythology, they're not meant to be real earthbound creatures, and were created by gods.

[Yamato 1,348]

Several millenia ago, a herd of horses was roaming the plains of Western Europe. One day the herd happened upon a great slab of the purest black, precisely four and a half meters tall, two meters wide, and half a meter thick. The slab hummed with power, and each of the horses was compelled, one by one, to approach it. Each horse took a turn gazing into the perfect black of the monolith and, upon completing said task, would receive a small jolt and experience a peculiar sensation originating from either their forehead or along their spine. When the final horse had completed its gaze, the slab faded into nothingness and the horse turned around to see 22 pegasi and 35 unicorns. Descendants of this original herd survived until the late Renaissance period, at which point the had been hunted to death for either sport or for their blood and horns, which were said to have special alchemical properties.

True story.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Chrysler

[Zoraxe 546]

I'd say an alicorn would be a fair common ancestor =3 Pegasi would live in the sky and all, so their horns would be less important. Unicorns would evolve from the alicorns that relied more on horns than wings.

 

Actually, 'Alicorn' is the substance that unicorn horns are made of. Only in MLP FIM is the term 'alicorn' used to refere to winged-Unicorns.

[K-Kopp 5]

The only way I figure a pegasus type animal could be evolutionarily possible, would be a genetic anomaly that grants an extra pair of functional limbs next to the front legs. Over time they'd have to evolve into wings from there, but I can't see feathery bird wings being a possibility. Avian feathers are a form of scale if I remember correctly, so I don't think a mammal like the horse would be able to ever gain them without so much time passing that our pegasus looks little like modern horses. Something reminiscent of bat wings might be doable, though!

 

As for the unicorn, I'd say it'd have to start with a form of antler that developed for use as a singular pointed weapon.

[SilverStarApple 849]

Horses went to the planet of the Saiyans and discovered Ki, allowing some to fly and allowing others to use magic. Wings are just for stability and speed, because an actual horse would need at least a twenty-foot wingspan to get its weight off the ground. Magic/Ki is involved. Furthermore, a Saiyan's hair never changes, and their hairstyles are genetic, just like thw MLPFIM ponies.

[NiceVillains 244]

The following post is not made from considering mythology in the slightest lol.

 

Horse runs alot, some horses wish to fly like birds, horses develop wings through evolution from trying to fly from sprinting starts, and their sprinting makes developing flying easier. Erm, galloping. 

 

And unicorns, assuming they are non magical, how deer evolved horns. But assuming they are magical, um, some sort of deity probably blessed it with magic or something after becoming its friend or the horse saving its life.

Edited August 16, 2014 by MostBrainWhyYes

[Darker 1,351]

Trying to introduce logic into fantasy is like not introducing explosions in a Michael Bay movie.

[HorsesandMOARGaloar 300]

Trying to introduce logic into fantasy is like not introducing explosions in a Michael Bay movie.

Especially if these creatures have evolved in a world with no magic (but weird lifeforms).