Talk:Cretan Dwarf Hippopotamus

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[edit] Picture

I still have questions about the picture. The two subspecies which are being described of Crete are: Hippopotamus creutzburgi creutzburgi and Hippopotamus creutzburgi parvus. The subspecies Hippopotamus creutzburgi minor has as far as I know never been described. So please add a reference! Furthermore I do not believe in the subspecies from Crete. I think it is just one species: Hippopotamus creutzburgi The variation in hippos is quite large, this is cause by the sexual dimorfism. The picture is quite nice though. I am curious what other people have to say about this. --Basvanhuut 09:16, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

I used the brief description given in Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids by Augsti and Anton, where H. c. creutzburgi was described as being large as a pygmy hippo, while "Phanourios minor" was described as being even smaller. I'm not sure if they were the same species/species, as although hippos differ in size according to gender, sexual dimorphism in hippos apparently focuses more on the teeth, in that males have larger, faster growing canines and incisors. [1] I will try to search for some more references about "P. minor" later.--Mr Fink 14:38, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

I think we may have gotten our hippos mixed. From what I understood, Phanourios minor or H. minor was on Cyprus and H. creutzbergi on Crete. I think the note about Phanourios minor might have been meant for the article on Cyprus Dwarf Hippopotamus and not here? --JayHenry 23:41, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Then they got it confused, too, as on page 261 of the book, they say that P. minor is also from Crete.--Mr Fink 23:57, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

I think the book may have indeed made a mistake. I just searched through all the sources that are used in the wiki or that I could easily find on the web, and they all place P. minor on Cyprus and H. Creutzbergi on Crete. --JayHenry 15:04, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

I am currently finishing my thesis on all the Mediterranean dwarf hippos of the Pleistocene. The problem that arose here is exactly the reason I did this thesis. In the literature there has been a lot of misunderstanding of these dwarf hippos. The names of each hippo has been used for each hippo on each island. Misunderstandment is not that strange. Hopefully it is clear now. H. minor is from Cyprus and the H. creutzburgi from Crete. The article of Kuss I refered to in the Cretan Dwarf hippopotamus text states that there are 2 subspecies of hippo on Crete. Namely Hippopotamus creutzburgi creutzburgi and H. creutzburgi parvus. The latter one being the smallest. If there are any more questions or things unclear, please say so. I might can help. --Basvanhuut 08:15, 4 June 2007 (UTC)