A careful examination of the fossil record reveals that the process of evolution is often not a linear trend of progression but follows a meandering pathway. For example, the evolution of horses is well described from abundant fossil evidence. Horse evolution is often depicted as progressing from a small, 4-toed browser to a large, hoofed grazer. In actuality the phylogeny of horses had many branches. Species on some branches actually decreased in size. Branches with browsing horses existed at the same time as branches with grazing species.