Malagasy hippopotamus

Malagasy hippopotamus
Hippopotamus lemerlei skeleton at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
Hippopotamus lemerlei skeleton at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Hippopotamidae
Subfamily: Hippopotaminae
Genus: Hippopotamus
Species

Several species of Malagasy hippopotamus (also known as Malagasy pygmy hippopotamus or Madagascan pygmy hippopotamus) lived on the island of Madagascar but are now believed to be extinct. The animals were very similar to the extant hippopotamus and pygmy hippopotamus. The fossil record suggests that at least one species of hippopotamus lived until about 1,000 years ago[3] and other evidence suggests that the species may have survived until much more recently.[4] The taxonomy of these animals is not resolved and not widely studied.[5][6]

  1. ^ a b Stuenes, Solweig (1989). "Taxonomy, habits and relationships of the sub-fossil Madagascan hippopotamuses Hippopotamus lemerlei and H. madagascariensis". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 9 (3): 241–268. doi:10.1080/02724634.1989.10011761.
  2. ^ Faure, M. & Guerin, C. (1990). "Hippopotamus laloumena nov. sp., la troisième éspece d'hippopotame holocene de Madagascar". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série II. 310: 1299–305.
  3. ^ Grubb, Peter (1993). Oliver, W.L.R. (ed.). Pigs, Peccaries, and Hippos: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN. Archived from the original on 2008-01-02.
  4. ^ Burney, David A.; Ramilisonina (December 1998). "The Kilopilopitsofy, Kidoky, and Bokyboky: Accounts of Strange Animals from Belo-sur-mer, Madagascar, and the Megafaunal "Extinction Window"". American Anthropologist. 100 (4): 957–966. doi:10.1525/aa.1998.100.4.957. JSTOR 681820.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Red Pygmy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Red dwarf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).