Hippopotamus behemoth

Hippopotamus behemoth; Temporal range: Early Pleistocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Hippopotamidae
Genus:	Hippopotamus
Species:	†H. behemoth
Binomial name
	†Hippopotamus behemoth; Faure 1986

Last updated October 04, 2025

Hippopotamus behemoth is an extinct species of hippopotamus from the Early Pleistocene of the Levant. Fossils of it, and its probable ancestor, H. gorgops , are found in the 'Ubeidiya site in the southern Levant, dating to the Early Pleistocene, around 1.4 million years ago.^[1]

H. behemoth differs from H. gorgops in having more elongated feet, and being somewhat smaller.^[2] Some experts consider these differences to be too slight to justify separating the two species, however,^[3]^[4] while other authors have considered the species to be closer in morphology to the European species Hippopotamus antiquus .^[5]

References

↑ Rabinovich, Rivka, and Rebecca Biton. "The Early–Middle Pleistocene faunal assemblages of Gesher Benot Ya 'aqov: Inter-site variability." Journal of Human Evolution 60.4 (2011): 357-374.
↑ Prothero, Donald R., and Scott E. Foss, eds. The evolution of artiodactyls. JHU Press, 2007.
↑ Petronio, C. (1995): Note on the taxonomy of Pleistocene hippopotamuses. Ibex3: 53-55. PDF fulltext
↑ Martínez-Navarro, B (2010). "The fossil Bovidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel: Out of Africa during the early-middle Pleistocene transition". J. Hum. Evol. 60 (4): 375–386. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.03.012. PMID 21392634.
↑ Fidalgo, D.; Rosas, A.; Madurell-Malapeira, J.; Pineda, A.; Huguet, R.; García-Tabernero, A.; Cáceres, I.; Ollé, A.; Vallverdú, J.; Saladie, P. (May 2023). "A review on the Pleistocene occurrences and palaeobiology of Hippopotamus antiquus based on the record from the Barranc de la Boella Section (Francolí Basin, NE Iberia)". Quaternary Science Reviews. 307 108034. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108034. hdl: 10261/308555 .

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[rrrb-1] Rabinovich, Rivka, and Rebecca Biton. "The Early–Middle Pleistocene faunal assemblages of Gesher Benot Ya 'aqov: Inter-site variability." Journal of Human Evolution 60.4 (2011): 357-374.

[prothero-2] Prothero, Donald R., and Scott E. Foss, eds. The evolution of artiodactyls. JHU Press, 2007.

[plehip-3] Petronio, C. (1995): Note on the taxonomy of Pleistocene hippopotamuses. Ibex3: 53-55. PDF fulltext

[4] Martínez-Navarro, B (2010). "The fossil Bovidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel: Out of Africa during the early-middle Pleistocene transition". J. Hum. Evol. 60 (4): 375–386. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.03.012. PMID 21392634.

[5] Fidalgo, D.; Rosas, A.; Madurell-Malapeira, J.; Pineda, A.; Huguet, R.; García-Tabernero, A.; Cáceres, I.; Ollé, A.; Vallverdú, J.; Saladie, P. (May 2023). "A review on the Pleistocene occurrences and palaeobiology of Hippopotamus antiquus based on the record from the Barranc de la Boella Section (Francolí Basin, NE Iberia)". Quaternary Science Reviews. 307 108034. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108034. hdl: 10261/308555 .

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