Hippopotamus melitensis, also known as the Maltese Hippopotamus, is an extinct hippopotamus from Malta. It arrived after the Messinian salinity crisis 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 | |||||
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Scientific classification | |||||
Kingdom: | Animalia | ||||
Phylum: | Chordata | ||||
Class: | Mammalia | ||||
Order: | Artiodactyla | ||||
Family: | Hippopotamidae | ||||
Genus: | Hippopotamus | ||||
Species: | †H. melitensis | ||||
Conservation Status | |||||
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