What is it about?
Hippopotamuses are important climatic indicators. We have studied a historical fossil exposed for a long time at Museo Universitario di Scienze della Terra, Sapienza University of Rome. By combining the paleontological and geologica analysis, we have demonstrated that Hippopotamus amphibius from Cava Montanari can be referred to Middle Pleistocene.
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Photo by Chris Stenger on Unsplash
Why is it important?
The earliest dispersal of this species has been a long debated. Our work confirms one of the hypothesis proposed in literature, but not followed by all.
Perspectives
Our work represents the base for future research on Pleistocene hippopotamuses. Now, we can face other important topics, as for example the response of this species to Quaternary climatic changes and time and mode of the extinction of the oldest European hippopotamuses, know as Hippopotamus antiquus.
Beniamino Mecozzi
Universita degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Reinforcing the idea of an early dispersal of Hippopotamus amphibius in Europe: Restoration and multidisciplinary study of the skull from the Middle Pleistocene of Cava Montanari (Rome, central Italy), PLoS ONE, November 2023, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293405.
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