Changelings had to have predated ponies

[ManaMinori 4,149]

With as much race/species swapping that takes place in the MLP franchise, I wonder if ponies and hippogriffs are the branched descendants of Changelings. We've seen pegasi and unicorns turn into Alicorns; Pegasi turn into frut bats; earth, unicorn, and Pegasi ponies turned into Breezies, Hippogriffs turned into sea ponies,  earth, unicorn and pegasi ponies turned into seaponies..it all sort of cheapens the Changeling's abilities as shapeshifters, unless these ponies and hippogriff halfbreeds are designed to be descended from the Changelings, thus, still aquiring their transformation abilities through spells and artifacts that mimic their anscestor's inherent biological abilities.

[Hierok 11,833]

I always thought that changelings were bred as ponies and evoluted into changeling and the crystal ponies had the same evolution.