Hippopotamus melitensis
Hippopotamus melitensis Temporal range: Pleistocene
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | Hippopotamidae |
Genus: | Hippopotamus |
Species: | †H. melitensis
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Binomial name | |
†Hippopotamus melitensis |
Hippopotamus melitensis is an extinct
common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius).[3] Like Hippopotamus pentlandi, Hippopotamus melitensis is substantially smaller in size than H. amphibius as a result of insular dwarfism, having an estimated mass of approximately 900 kg, which is smaller than the 1100 kg estimated for H. pentlandi. The diet of H. melitensis is suggested to have been more generalist than Hippopotamus amphibius (which is predominantly a grazer), likely as a result of limited resource diversity and lack of competition, as the only other large herbivore on the island was the dwarf elephant Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis.[2] The majority of findings of this species are from Għar Dalam, a cave on Malta famous for its Pleistocene
fossil deposits.
See also
- Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus
- Cretan dwarf hippopotamus
References