Hippopotamus melitensis
Hippopotamus melitensis is an extinct hippopotamus from Malta. It arrived after the Messinian salinity crisis[2] and lived during the Pleistocene. The absence of predators, and limited food supplies led to the dwarfing of the hippos. The majority of findings of this species are from Għar Dalam, a cave on Malta famous for its Pleistocene fossil deposits.
| Hippopotamus melitensis Temporal range: Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Hippopotamidae |
| Genus: | Hippopotamus |
| Species: | †H. melitensis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Hippopotamus melitensis | |
See also
- Sicilian hippopotamus
- Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus
- Cretan dwarf hippopotamus
References
- Major, C.I.F., 1902. Some account of a nearly complete skeleton of Hippopotamus madagascariensis, Guldb., from Sirabé, Madagascar, obtained in 1895. Geol. Mag. 1902 pp.193-199.
- Hunt, Christopher O., Schembri, Patrick J., Quaternary Environments and Biogeography of the Maltese Islands, page 31, access in 13/03/2016
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