Hexaprotodon sivalensis By WillemSvdMerwe Watch

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Hexaprotodon sivalensis was a medium-sized hippo, about intermediate in size between the modern river hippo and the pygmy hippo. Its fossils are known from the Indian subcontinent. Unlike modern hippos it had six front teeth (incisors) in each jaw (instead of four) in addition to the tusks (the canines). It's genus name means 'six front teeth'. It is one of several species in the genus, which lived from about 6 million years ago to comparatively very recently in the late Pleistocene. Hexaprotodon is mainly known from Asia, with some possible species in Europe and Africa. The modern pygmy hippo is sometimes classified in the genus but actually differs a lot from these fossil hippos, for instance having just two front teeth per jaw. Hexaprotodon sivalensis appears to have been amphibious with the eyes raised high on the skull but not quite as high as the modern hippo. Apart from its teeth it might have looked very much like a subadult of the modern river hippo.



Hippos are only found in Africa today but in the past, even the very recent past, were found in a diversity of species also in Europe, the mid-East, Asia and Madagascar. These included species bigger as well as smaller than any living hippos. Even in Africa there used to live numerous species where today only two remain.

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Published : Apr 24, 2014