Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus

Last updated

Contents

Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus
Temporal range: Pleistocene to Early Holocene, 0.2–0.012  Ma
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
↓
Hippo-Cyprus.JPG
Composite mounted skeleton of H. minor
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Hippopotamidae
Genus: Hippopotamus
Species:
†H. minor
Binomial name
†Hippopotamus minor
Desmarest, 1822 [1]
Synonyms
  • Phanourios minorSondaar and Boekschoten, 1972
  • Hippopotamus minutusCuvier, 1824

The Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus (Hippopotamus minor or Phanourios minor) is an extinct species of dwarf hippopotamus that inhabited the island of Cyprus from the Pleistocene until the early Holocene.

History of discovery and taxonomy

Bones of fossil mammals have been known on Cyprus since at least the 15th century, when Cypriot historian Leontios Machairas reported that bones exposed in the Kyrenia/Pentadactylos mountains in the northern part of Cyprus were believed by locals to be the bones of Maronite Christians who had fled to the island, which they regarded as saints. An account from a later historian, Benedetto Bordone published in 1528, reporting on a similar deposit in the Kyrenia mountains, recounted that locals ground the bones into powder to make a potion they thought could cure many diseases. In 1698, the Dutch traveller Cornelis de Bruijn, remarking on another Kyrenia mountains bone deposit, made several images of bones he found, which he thought were deposited by the Biblical great flood. The remains in one of these images, which he identified as human, is now retrospectively identified as remains of the Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus. [2]

The earliest scientific description of the species was given by French paleontologist Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest in 1822, who gave the current name Hippopotamus minor. The species Hippopotamus minutus named shortly after by Georges Cuvier in 1824 is now regarded as a junior synonym. [3] Both authors were unaware of the origin of the specimens which were in the collections of a French museum in Paris, with Desmarest and Cuvier both suggesting that the specimens originated from southern France. Additional remains of the species were collected from Cyprus by British paleontologist Dorothea Bate in 1901, which led Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major to recognise material in the Paris collection as also originating from Cyprus. [4] The species is now known from over 20 localities across the island. [5] In 1972, the species was placed in the new genus Phanourios by Paul Yves Sondaar and Gijsbert Jan Boekschoten after Saint Phanourios which local Cypriots associated with its bones. [6] However this placement has been questioned due to the fact that it is widely agreed that the species descends from a species of the genus Hippopotamus, and other authors have continued to use the combination Hippopotamus minor. [7] [8]

Evolution

A partial mitochondrial genome obtained from H. minor suggests that its closest living relative is the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), with an estimated genetic divergence between 1.36 to 1.58 million years ago. [7] The ancestor of the Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus is uncertain, but is likely either H. amphibius [7] or the extinct species Hippopotamus antiquus . [9] The timing of the colonisation is uncertain, though the earliest fossils date to around 219-185,000 years ago, during the late Middle Pleistocene. [7] Due to Cyprus never having been connected to the mainland, its ancestors must have arrived via crossing the Mediterranean, perhaps as the result of a rare cataclysmic flooding event. [10] Its small body size is due to insular dwarfism, a common phenomenon on islands. [7]

Description and ecology

Skull and jaw of a Cypriot dwarf hippo Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus skull and jaw.jpg
Skull and jaw of a Cypriot dwarf hippo

The Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus was roughly the same size as the extant African pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis), with an estimated body mass of around 130 kilograms (290 lb). [7] H. minor is the smallest hippopotamus of all known insular hippopotamuses. It is estimated to have measured 70 cm (2.3 ft) tall and 125 cm (4.1 ft) long. [2] Compared to H. amphibius, the muzzle region of the skull is much shorter, and the skull as a whole resembles that of the pygmy hippopotamus. [8] Unlike other species of the genus Hippopotamus, the lower fourth premolar has been lost. [9] The teeth of H. minor are more brachydont (less high crowned) than those of H. amphibius, suggesting that H. minor probably occupied a browsing niche, in contrast to the grazing predominant diet of modern Hippopotamus amphibius, though its diet is likely to have varied in correspondence to glacial cycle-induced climatic changes. [11] Analysis of the limb and hand bones suggests that it was more terrestrial than its living relatives, and capable of moving on the rugged terrain of Cyprus, with changes including the shortening of the distal (closest to foot) part of the legs, and increased robustness of the limb bones, [12] [9] though it was likely incapable of running quickly. [2]

Paleoenvironment

During the Late Pleistocene, the Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus, along with the similarly sized Cyprus dwarf elephant, were the only large mammals native to the islands, and one of only four native terrestrial mammal species, alongside the still living Cypriot mouse and the extinct genet species Genetta plesictoides, [13] and had no natural predators. [14] Remains of the dwarf hippopotamus are abundant at localities where it is found, considerably moreso than the dwarf elephant. [5]

Extinction

The youngest remains of the species date to the end of the Pleistocene, around 13-12,000 years ago, around the same time as the youngest remains of the dwarf elephant species. These dates roughly coincide with the oldest evidence of human habitation of Cyprus. [15] Over 200,000 bones of H. minor, representing over 500 individuals, are associated with human artifacts at the Aetokremnos rockshelter on the southern coast of Cyprus, dating to approximately 13-12,000 years Before Present, representing among the youngest records of the species, which is suggested by some authors to provide evidence that the Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus was hunted and driven to extinction by the early human residents of Cyprus. [16] [17] [18] [19] However, these suggestions have been contested, in part due to a lack of cut marks on the bones that would definitively indicate butchery, with an alternative proposal that bones at Aetokremnos accumulated naturally over hundreds of years, with the human occupation of the site after the bones were initially deposited. [15] [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hippopotamus</span> Large semi-aquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa

The hippopotamus, also shortened to hippo, further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus. Its name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hippopotamidae</span> Family of mammals

Hippopotamidae is a family of stout, naked-skinned, and semiaquatic artiodactyl mammals, possessing three-chambered stomachs and walking on four toes on each foot. While they resemble pigs physiologically, their closest living relatives are the cetaceans. They are sometimes referred to as hippopotamids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygmy hippopotamus</span> Small species of hippopotamus from West Africa

The pygmy hippopotamus or pygmy hippo is a small hippopotamid which is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily in Liberia, with small populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast. It has been extirpated from Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aetokremnos</span> Archaeological site in Cyprus

Aetokremnos is a rock shelter near Limassol on the southern coast of Cyprus. It is widely considered to host some of the oldest evidence of human habitation of Cyprus, dating to around 12,000 years ago. It is situated on a steep cliff site c. 40 m (131.23 ft) above the Mediterranean sea. The name means "Cliff of the eagles" in Greek. Around 40 m2 (430.56 sq ft) have been excavated and out of the four layers documented, the third is sterile.

<i>Palaeoloxodon</i> Genus of extinct elephants

Palaeoloxodon is an extinct genus of elephant. The genus originated in Africa during the Early Pleistocene, and expanded into Eurasia at the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene. The genus contains some of the largest known species of elephants, over 4 metres (13 ft) tall at the shoulders, including the African Palaeoloxodon recki, the European straight-tusked elephant and the South Asian Palaeoloxodon namadicus. P. namadicus has been suggested to be the largest known land mammal by some authors based on extrapolation from fragmentary remains, though these estimates are highly speculative. In contrast, the genus also contains many species of dwarf elephants that evolved via insular dwarfism on islands in the Mediterranean, some only 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height, making them the smallest elephants known. The genus has a long and complex taxonomic history, and at various times, it has been considered to belong to Loxodonta or Elephas, but today is usually considered a valid and separate genus in its own right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarf elephant</span> Prehistoric elephant species

Dwarf elephants are prehistoric members of the order Proboscidea which, through the process of allopatric speciation on islands, evolved much smaller body sizes in comparison with their immediate ancestors. Dwarf elephants are an example of insular dwarfism, the phenomenon whereby large terrestrial vertebrates that colonize islands evolve dwarf forms, a phenomenon attributed to adaptation to resource-poor environments and lack of predation and competition.

<i>Hippopotamus</i> (genus) Genus of mammals

Hippopotamus is a genus of artiodactyl mammals consisting of one extant species, Hippopotamus amphibius, the river hippopotamus, and several extinct species from both recent and prehistoric times. It belongs to the family Hippopotamidae, which also includes the pygmy hippopotamus and a number of extinct genera.

<i>Metailurus</i> Extinct genus of carnivores

Metailurus is a genus of saber-toothed cat in the family Felidae, and belonging to the tribe Metailurini, which occurred in North America, Eurasia and Africa from the Miocene to the Middle Pleistocene.

The Cypriot mouse is a species of mouse endemic to Cyprus. Its primary habitat seems to be the vineyards and fields of the Troödos Mountains region.

<i>Hippopotamus antiquus</i> Extinct species of mammal

Hippopotamus antiquus is an extinct species of Hippopotamus that ranged across Europe during the Early and Middle Pleistocene.

Hippopotamus melitensis is an extinct hippopotamus from Malta. It lived during Middle-Late Pleistocene. It probably descended from Hippopotamus pentlandi from Sicily, which in turn probably descended from the common hippopotamus. 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, 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. The majority of findings of this species are from Għar Dalam, a cave on Malta famous for its Pleistocene fossil deposits.

<i>Hippopotamus pentlandi</i> Extinct species of mammal

Hippopotamus pentlandi is an extinct species of hippopotamus from Sicily, known from the late Middle Pleistocene to early Late Pleistocene. It is the largest of the insular dwarf hippos known from the Pleistocene of the Mediterranean, "at most 20% smaller than the mainland forms", with an estimated body mass of approximately 1100 kg. It is suggested that it arrived in Sicily between 250,000 and 150,000 years ago, probably descending from the modern hippopotamus, with an origin from Hippopotamus antiquus being less likely. In comparison to those species, the muzzle was shorter, the occipital and nasal regions were more developed, the mastoid process was enlarged, and the dental row was shortened, and the condyle of the mandible is low. In comparison to H. amphibius, the orbits are also elevated. It was present in Sicily until at least the latest Middle Pleistocene around 120 kya, and was probably extinct by the beginning of Marine Isotope Stage 4. Contemporaneous species include the dwarf elephant Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis, the aurochs, red deer, steppe bison, fallow deer, wild boar, brown bear, wolves, red foxes, cave hyena and cave lions. Its diet was likely grazing dominated, similar to that of modern H. amphibius. It is probably ancestral to Hippopotamus melitensis from Malta, which is substantially smaller than H. pentlandi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malagasy hippopotamus</span> Extinct species of hippopotamus

Several species of Malagasy 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 and other evidence suggests that the species may have survived until much more recently. The taxonomy of these animals is not resolved and not widely studied.

<i>Palaeoloxodon cypriotes</i> Extinct species of elephant

Palaeoloxodon cypriotes is an extinct species of dwarf elephant that inhabited the island of Cyprus during the Late Pleistocene. The species became extinct around 12,000 years ago, around the time humans first colonised Cyprus.

Hippopotamus creutzburgi, the Cretan dwarf hippopotamus, is an extinct species of hippopotamus from the island of Crete. It lived on the island from the Early Pleistocene to early Middle Pleistocene, and probably descended from Hippopotamus antiquus. It was considerably smaller than H. antiquus, weighing approximately 400 kilograms (880 lb). It was one of only two large herbivores on the island during its existence, alongside the dwarf mammoth Mammuthus creticus, with large predators being absent, the only other species of mammal present on the island being the giant rat Kritimys. It is known from abundant remains collected from the Katharo basin in the eastern uplands of Crete, approximately 1,100–1,200 metres (3,600–3,900 ft) above sea level, as well as much rarer remains found in coastal caves. Analysis of its limbs suggests that it was more adapted to terrestrial locomotion than living hippopotamus, primarily walking on its hooves rather than its footpads as in living hippopotamus, and capable of traversing the rugged terrain of Crete. Analysis of its teeth suggests that it had a grazing diet, similar to modern Hippopotamus amphibius. The previous suggestion that the species can be divided into two subspecies is not supported by modern research.

Hippopotamus laloumena is an extinct species of hippopotamus from Pleistocene and Holocene Madagascar, making it the oldest of Malagasy hippopotamus. H. laloumena was much larger than other Malagasy hippopotamus, but was still somewhat smaller than the common hippopotamus. However, little is known about the species because it was identified with only a lower jaw and limb bones. It was described in 1990 by French palaeontologists M. Faure and Guerin, the fossils recovered from a site near Mananjary on the east coast of Madagascar. The species name derives from Malagasy laloumena "hippopotamus".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Cyprus</span> Cyprus flora and fauna

The wildlife of Cyprus includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Cyprus has a rich flora and a diverse fauna albeit with relatively few mammals. Like most modern countries, the natural habitats in Cyprus have been steadily disappearing, currently retaining only 20% of its original habitat due to rapid urbanization, usage of forests for commercial purposes, tourism and various other reasons. One of the features of Cyprus' habitats is the wild and sharp differences in elevations and habitats on the island as well as climate, all of which supply a diverse habitat for an array of fauna and flora. Terra Cypria was established as a trust in 1992 to conserve the Cypriot environment and its biodiversity.

<i>Palaeoloxodon creutzburgi</i> Extinct species of elephant found on Crete

Palaeoloxodon creutzburgi is an extinct species of elephant known from the Middle-Late Pleistocene of Crete. It is a descendant of the large mainland species Palaeoloxodon antiquus. It is known from localities across the island. P. chaniensis from Stylos and in Vamos cave, Chania, west Crete is considered to be a junior synonym of P. creutzburgi. It had undergone insular dwarfism, being approximately 40% of the size of its mainland ancestor, and was around the size of the living Asian elephant. It lived alongside the radiation of Candiacervus deer endemic to the island, the mouse Mus batae-minotaurus, the Cretan otter, and the Cretan shrew.

<i>Mammuthus creticus</i> Extinct species of mammal

Mammuthus creticus, or the Cretan dwarf mammoth, is an extinct species of dwarf mammoth endemic to Crete.

Kritimys, also known as the Cretan giant rat is an extinct genus of murid rodent that was endemic to the island of Crete during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. There are two known species, K. kiridus from the Early-Mid Pleistocene, and its descendant K. catreus from the Middle Pleistocene. It is suggested to be closely related to and probably derived from Praomys. As with most island rodents, Kritimys was larger than its mainland relatives, with its size increasing over time, with K. catreus estimated to weigh 518 grams (1.142 lb), around 6.7 times the weight of its mainland ancestor, an example of island gigantism. The temporal range of the genus is considered to define the regional Kritimys biozone, during which time there were only two other species of mammal native to the island, a species of dwarf mammoth, Mammuthus creticus and the dwarf hippopotamus Hippopotamus creutzburgi. It became extinct during the late Middle Pleistocene, following the arrival of the Mus bateae-minotaurus lineage to the island, exhibiting a decrease in size shortly before its extinction.

References

  1. ↑ Desmarest, A.G., 1822. Mammalogie ou description des espèces de mammifères. Mme Veuve Agasse imprimeur édit., Paris, 2ème part., pp.277-555.
  2. 1 2 3 van der Geer, Alexandra; Lyras, George; de Vos, John; Dermitzakis, Michael (2010-08-13). "Cyprus". Evolution of Island Mammals: Adaptation and Extinction of Placental Mammals on Islands (1 ed.). Wiley. pp. 34–42. doi:10.1002/9781444323986.ch4. ISBN   978-1-4051-9009-1.
  3. ↑ D.A. Hooijer Notes on some Pontian mammals from Sicily, figured by Seguenza Archives Néerlandaises de Zoologie, 7 (1946), pp. 301-333
  4. ↑ van der Geer, Alexandra; Lyras, George; de Vos, John; Dermitzakis, Michael (2010-08-13). "Hippopotamuses and Pigs". Evolution of Island Mammals: Adaptation and Extinction of Placental Mammals on Islands (1 ed.). Wiley. p. 344. doi:10.1002/9781444323986.ch25. ISBN   978-1-4051-9009-1.
  5. 1 2 Athanassiou, Athanassios; Herridge, Victoria; Reese, David S.; Iliopoulos, George; Roussiakis, Socrates; Mitsopoulou, Vassiliki; Tsiolakis, Efthymios; Theodorou, George (August 2015). "Cranial evidence for the presence of a second endemic elephant species on Cyprus". Quaternary International. 379: 47–57. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2015.05.065.
  6. ↑ Boekschoten G.J., Sondaar P.Y. 1972. On the fossil mammalia of Cyprus, I & II. Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (Series B), 75 (4): 306–38.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Psonis, Nikolaos; Vassou, Despoina; Nicolaou, Loucas; Roussiakis, Socrates; Iliopoulos, George; Poulakakis, Nikos; Sfenthourakis, Spyros (2022-11-02). "Mitochondrial sequences of the extinct Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus confirm its phylogenetic placement". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 196 (3): 979–989. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab089. ISSN   0024-4082.
  8. 1 2 van der Geer, Alexandra A. E.; Lyras, George A.; Mitteroecker, Philipp; MacPhee, Ross D. E. (September 2018). "From Jumbo to Dumbo: Cranial Shape Changes in Elephants and Hippos During Phyletic Dwarfing". Evolutionary Biology. 45 (3): 303–317. doi:10.1007/s11692-018-9451-1. ISSN   0071-3260. S2CID   255346580.
  9. 1 2 3 Georgitsis, Michail K.; Liakopoulou, Dionysia Ε.; Theodorou, Georgios E.; Tsiolakis, Efthymios (August 2022). "Functional morphology of the hindlimb of fossilized pygmy hippopotamus from Ayia Napa (Cyprus)". Journal of Morphology. 283 (8): 1048–1079. doi:10.1002/jmor.21488. ISSN   0362-2525. PMID   35708268. S2CID   249709335.
  10. ↑ van der Geer, Alexandra A. E.; Anastasakis, George; Lyras, George A. (April 2015). "If hippopotamuses cannot swim, how did they colonize islands: a reply to Mazza". Lethaia. 48 (2): 147–150. doi:10.1111/let.12095. ISSN   0024-1164.
  11. ↑ Bethune, Elehna; Kaiser, Thomas M.; Schulz-Kornas, Ellen; Winkler, Daniela E. (November 2019). "Multiproxy dietary trait reconstruction in Pleistocene Hippopotamidae from the Mediterranean islands". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 533: 109210. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.05.032. S2CID   181824675.
  12. ↑ Georgitsis, Michail K.; Liakopoulou, Dionysia Ε; Theodorou, Georgios E. (2022). "Morphofunctional examination of the carpal bones of pygmy hippopotamus from Ayia Napa, Cyprus". The Anatomical Record. 305 (2): 297–320. doi: 10.1002/ar.24738 . ISSN   1932-8494. PMID   34369097. S2CID   236959026.
  13. ↑ Athanassiou, Athanassios; van der Geer, Alexandra A.E.; Lyras, George A. (August 2019). "Pleistocene insular Proboscidea of the Eastern Mediterranean: A review and update". Quaternary Science Reviews. 218: 306–321. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.06.028. S2CID   199107354.
  14. ↑ Burness, G. P.; Diamond, J.; Flannery, T. (2001-12-04). "Dinosaurs, dragons, and dwarfs: The evolution of maximal body size". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 98 (25): 14518–14523. Bibcode:2001PNAS...9814518B. doi: 10.1073/pnas.251548698 . ISSN   0027-8424. JSTOR   3057309. PMC   64714 . PMID   11724953.
  15. 1 2 Zazzo, Antoine; Lebon, Matthieu; Quiles, Anita; Reiche, Ina; Vigne, Jean-Denis (2015-08-18). "Direct Dating and Physico-Chemical Analyses Cast Doubts on the Coexistence of Humans and Dwarf Hippos in Cyprus". PLOS ONE. 10 (8). e0134429. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1034429Z. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134429 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   4540316 . PMID   26284623.
  16. ↑ Swiny, Stuart, ed. (2001). The earliest prehistory of Cyprus from colonization to exploitation (PDF). Monograph Series. Vol. 2. American Schools of Oriental Research. doi:10.2307/1357781. ISBN   0-89757-051-0. JSTOR   1357781. S2CID   161547871.
  17. ↑ Simmons, A. H. (1999). Faunal extinction in an island society: pygmy hippopotamus hunters of Cyprus. Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. p. 382. doi:10.1007/b109876. ISBN   978-0306460883. OCLC   41712246.
  18. ↑ Simmons, A. H.; Mandel, R. D. (December 2007). "Not Such a New Light: A Response to Ammerman and Noller". World Archaeology . 39 (4): 475–482. doi:10.1080/00438240701676169. JSTOR   40026143. S2CID   161791746.
  19. ↑ Simmons, Alan (June 2023). "From hippos to cattle: The fragile relationship of early cypriots with their animals". Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 49: 103957. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103957.
  20. ↑ Nicolaou, Loucas; Iliopoulos, George; Roussiakis, Socrates (December 2020). "Population dynamics on Aetokremnos hippos of Cyprus or have Cypriots ever tasted hippo meat?". Quaternary International. 568: 55–64. Bibcode:2020QuInt.568...55N. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2020.09.016. S2CID   224982319.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.