Malagasy Hippo

Malagasy hippopotamus (also known as Malagasy dwarf hippopotamus or Malagasy pygmy hippopotamus) is an extinct species of hippopotamus that lived on the island of Madagascar. The animals were very similar to the extant hippopotamus and pygmy hippopotamus. The fossil record suggests that at least one species of the dwarf hippo lived until about 1,000 years ago and other evidence suggests that the species may have survived until much more recently. A non-fossilized skull and tusk were found in Madagascar in 2019 by biologist Forrest Galante, were dated to less than 200 years old, possibly even surviving into the present day.

## Discovery and taxonomy

There are no footage or pictures of the Dwarf Hippo exist. It was recorded in the mid-1800s by a French explorer who unearthed nearly 50 hippo fossils from a dried-up swamp near the Mozambique Channel. The fossil data suggests they were alive 1,000 years ago and many showed signs of being butchered.

They were the only species of hippos that ever lived in Madagascar.

## Description

The Malagasy dwarf hippopotamus is been known to be usual for loosely resembles it's African cousin and while the African Hippo stands 6 feet tall and can be as long as 16 feet long while the Dwarf Hippo were nearly 2 1/2 feet long and less than 6 feet long. Their small size is the result of insular dwarfism, which is when a species evolves to a smaller size to accommodate a smaller environment, like an island and limited food supply.

## Species

There are generally three species of hippos accepted in Madagascar. How and when they entered Madagascar is unknown. It is suggested that because hippos live semi-aquatically, it is possible that they crossed a 400-kilometer strait to reach Madagascar. It is also suggested that they are the only ungulates on the island, so they may have been living on the island or introduced by humans.

### Hippopotamus lemerlei

Most likely, *H. lemerlei* led a lifestyle similar to that of an ordinary hippopotamus, as evidenced by protruding eye sockets, and was an inhabitant of freshwater rivers. The diet is also similar, as evidenced by the general morphology of the skull and the lower jaw in particular]

Despite the probable relationship with the common hippopotamus, the size of madagascar hippos is more comparable to dwarf hippos: the largest specimen found is 2 m long and 0.7 m high, and in addition, paleontological findings indicate a high probability of the presence of sexual dimorphism of the species. From *H. madagascariensis*, it is distinguished by a less massive skull, a deep articular fossil.

*H. lemerlei* is mainly known from finds in the coastal zone of the southern plains of Madagascar, and the results of radiocarbon analysis in 2004 indicate that this species lived there as early as 1000 AD. It is believed that the determining role in the extinction of this species of dwarf hippos was introduced by man, for whom Madagascar dwarfs were easy prey.

### *Hippopotamus madagascariensis*

*H. madagascariensis*, or *H. guldbergi*, is the species that gave the name to the entire group of Madagascar pygmy hippos. It is known from finds in the highlands of Madagascar probably like *H. lemerlei* and lived as early as 1000, years ago. It differs from the mentioned subspecies by a more massive structure of the skull, the direction of wear of the incisors, an approximately equal ratio between the height and width of the eye sockets (in *H. lemerlei* the height is greater than the width), a less deep articular fossa of the shoulder joint and a number of other features.

The lower planting of the eye sockets suggests that the Madagascar pygmy hippopotamus was probably less associated with water than *H. lemerlei,* and the structure of the lower jaw and the type of wear of the incisors indicate that the diet is different from the common hippopotamus, and therefore from *H. lemerlei*, and more similar to that of the dwarf hippopotamus. The main cause of extinction is considered to be extermination by man, as he was an easy prey for hunters.

### *Hippopotamus laloumena*

The species was described in 1990 based on the remains of limbs and a lower jaw found in eastern Madagascar. Presumably, the species is very similar to the common hippopotamus, but smaller, although larger than the other two species of Madagascar dwarf hippos.

## Diet

They were the dominant grazer along with the tortoises.

## Oral legends and the kilopilopitsofy

Radiocarbon dating has detected that this fossil of the Madagascar hippopotamus died about 200 years ago, rather than 1000,1648 years ago as generally believed, but it is common in oral rumors in Madagascar. In 1902, when Étienne de Flacourt was governor of Madagascar, he recorded an animal that was said to resemble a hippopotamus, called mangarsahoc. In different areas of Madagascar, different animals like hippos are legendary, known as tsy-aomby-aomby, omby-rano and laloumena. In 1878, an official reported hearing that Madagascar hippos were still spotted in the 5 highlands.  This led the IUCN to list the Madagascar hippopotamus as a recently extinct animal.

## Gallery

Hippopotamus lemerlei skeleton in Malagasy Academy.pngArt illustration of Megafauna in Madagascar.pngLife restoration of Madagascar megafauna ecosystem.png