Pygmy Hippopotamus Research Articles

Extinct pygmy hippopotamus and early man in Cyprus

Little evidence exists for human occupation of the Mediterranean Islands before ∼9,000 yr before present (BP)1, and extinct Pleistocene fauna rarely have been associated with archaeological materials from the region. Intriguing claims, however, have been presented for the early occupation of Mallorca2 and Sardinia3. Although it has been suggested that Cyprus may have been inhabited as early as the Palaeolithic, this has not been substantiated and the consensus of opinion is that the initial inhabitation was by Neolithic peoples ∼9,000 yr ago4,5. But new evidence from Akrotiri Aetokremnos ('Eagle's Cliff or 'Site E') suggests an earlier occupation. This site also contains evidence for the association of cultural remains with extinct pygmy hippopotamus (Phanourios minutus6). Although beds containing bones of the pygmy hippopotamus are known from Cyprus7,8, this species is generally believed to have gone extinct before man's presence on the island9. From my analysis, I tentatively conclude that Site E is the earliest archaeological site in Cyprus and that the Island was occupied by approximately 10,000 yr BP. Finally I suggest that the extinction of the pygmy hippopotamus on Cyprus may have been accelerated by the presence of man on the island.

Notes on placentation in the Suina

We examined the gross and microscopic anatomy of placental tissues and umbilical cords from six species representing the three living families of the Suina. These species included, of the Suidae, the wart hog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), the giant forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni), the domestic pig (Sus scrofa), and the banded pig of Malaysia (Sus scrofa vittatus); of the Tayassuidae, the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari); of the Hippopotamidae, the hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) and the pigmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis). All these species have a diffuse epitheliochorial placenta. The chorion is folded, and has on its surface rows of shallow ripples or villi, interrupted by round, oval or irregularly shaped areolae. Placental capillaries indent the epithelial layer covering the tops and sides of the interareolar villi, but not the columnar cell layer lying in the troughs between these villi or covering the areolae. Cuboidal cells cover the crests of the villi in the Suidae and Hippopotamidae, whereas in the Tayassuidae the epithelium is syncytial in appearance. The similarities in placental structure between the six species are more apparent than the differences. Suidae and Tayassuidae have smooth umbilical cords containing two arteries and one vein; those of the Hippopotamidae are pustule-encrusted and contain two arteries and two veins.

Repair of a Rectal Stricture and Prolapse in a Pygmy Hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)

Repair of a Rectal Stricture and Prolapse in a Pygmy Hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)

A note on the structure of tail hairs from a pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)

AbstractThe pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis), like the Nile hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), defecates by backing into vertical objects while making a series of rapid, propellerlike tail movements that spread a mixture of urine and feces in a wide swath. Split hairs from the distal ventral surface of the pygmy hippopotamus tail were studied with the scanning electron microscope to determine whether the splitting was a normal character of the hair or was due to damage. The results suggest that splitting is a normal feature of the hair that may facilitate the dispersal of urine and feces.

Hand‐rearing a Pygmy hippopotamus at Melbourne Zoo

Hand‐rearing a Pygmy hippopotamus at Melbourne Zoo

Anatomy of the kidneys of a newly born pigmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis Morton).

AbstractThis is probably the first description of the renal anatomy of the pigmy hippopotamus. The observations were made with dissecting and transmitted light microscopes. Nephrons were micro‐dissected from macerated portions of the kidney. The apex of the renal loops is always at the wide helicoidal portion of the nephron and occurs in all zones but especially in the outer zone of the medulla. The kidney is the branched tubus maximus type, similar to that of the Nile hippopotamus. Distinguishing features are indicated and discussed.

Pygmy hippopotamus

Pygmy hippopotamus

On housing the Pygmy hippopotamus

On housing the Pygmy hippopotamus

Les grands mammifères du Parc National de Taï, Côte d’ivoire

The Taï forest in Western Ivory Coast is the last sizeable refuge of a number of endemic Western African mammals, three of which being on the IUCN list of endangered species. Ten species of primates have so far been observed in this area : 2 prosimians, 3 species of guenons (Cercopithecus) , 3 species of Colobus monkeys, one mangabey (Cercocebus ) and the Chimpanzee. The Diana monkey is the most frequently observed species of guenons ; it often forms mixed troops with red, and black and white, colobus monkeys. Fifteen species of ungulates have been recorded, including pigmy hippopotamus, zebra duiker, Jenkink’s duiker and five other species of genus Cephalophus.

The care and breeding of the Pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) in captivity

The care and breeding of the Pygmy hippopotamus (<i>Choeropsis liberiensis</i>) in captivity

Wildlife Trends in Liberia and Sierra Leone

In an eight-month field study of the pygmy hippopotamus, an endangered Red Book species, the author was able to make some assessment of the status of other animals in Liberia and Sierra Leone and shows how the danger is increasing for most of them. Chimpanzees in particular are exported in large numbers, and in order to catch the young animals whole family groups may be eliminated.

Metabolic effects of starvation during neonatal period in the piglet.

ARTICLESMetabolic effects of starvation during neonatal period in the pigletJ Gentz, G Bengtsson, J Hakkarainen, R Hellstrom, and B PerssonJ Gentz, G Bengtsson, J Hakkarainen, R Hellstrom, and B PerssonPublished Online:01 Mar 1970https://doi.org/10.1152/ajplegacy.1970.218.3.662MoreSectionsPDF (2 MB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat Previous Back to Top Next Download PDF FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Cited ByKetone Body Metabolism in the NeonateKetone Body Production and Metabolism in the Fetus and NeonateA low-fat liquid diet increases protein accretion and alters cellular signaling for protein synthesis in 10-day-old pigs1Journal of Animal Science, Vol. 88, No. 8Cerebral Metabolic Adaptation and Ketone Metabolism after Brain Injury8 August 2007 | Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, Vol. 28, No. 1The Contribution of Body Protein to the Supply of Energy in Starved Newborn Piglets Is Not Preferentially Suppressed by Intravenous Provision of Glucose and FatThe Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 135, No. 11Animal welfare implications of neonatal mortality and morbidity in farm animalsThe Veterinary Journal, Vol. 168, No. 2Ketone Body Production and Metabolism in the Fetus and NeonateNeuroendocrine consequences of very early weaning in swinePhysiology & Behavior, Vol. 72, No. 1-2Low Activity of Mitochondrial HMG-CoA Synthase in Liver of Starved Piglets Is Due to Low Levels of Protein Despite High mRNA LevelsArchives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Vol. 385, No. 2Rates of Mitochondrial and Peroxisomal β-Oxidation of Palmitate Change during Postnatal Development and Food Deprivation in Liver, Kidney and Heart of Pigs , ,The Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 127, No. 9Thermoregulation and the energy requirement of the newborn foal, with reference to prematurity10 June 2010 | Equine Veterinary Journal, Vol. 29, No. S24Glucose and Fatty Acid Metabolism in the Newborn PigRelationship between hepatic fatty acid oxidation and gluconeogenesis in the fasting neonatal pig9 March 2007 | British Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 70, No. 1Some aspects of perinatal maturation and adaptation10 June 2010 | Equine Veterinary Journal, Vol. 25, No. S14Energy Metabolism During Late Gestation and Lactation in Muciparous Sows in Relation to Backfat Thickness and the Interval from Weaning to First Oestrus1 March 1993 | Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, Vol. 34, No. 1Thermoregulation in piglets: environmental and metabolic consequences27 February 2018 | BSAP Occasional Publication, Vol. 15Patterns of substrate utilization from birth to weaning27 February 2018 | BSAP Occasional Publication, Vol. 15Effect of colostrum intake on plasma glucose, non-esterified fatty acid and glucoregulatory hormone patterns in the neonatal pigDomestic Animal Endocrinology, Vol. 6, No. 3A longitudinal study of starvation in piglets and the introduction of a modified liver biopsy techniqueVeterinary Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 3Intravenous energy and amino acids in the preterm newborn infant: Effects on metabolic rate and potential mechanisms of actionThe Journal of Pediatrics, Vol. 111, No. 1The metabolic response of the canine neonate to twenty-four hours of fastingMetabolism, Vol. 36, No. 6Physiological responses of the adult male collared peccary, Tayassu tajacu (tayassuidae), to severe dietary restrictionComparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology, Vol. 82, No. 1Glucose turnover and recycling in unrestrained and unanesthetized 48-h-old fasting or post-absorptive newborn pigs9 March 2007 | British Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 52, No. 2THE USE OF FAT IN SOW DIETSComparative and functional morphology of the stomach in the adult and newborn pigmy hippopotamus(Choeropsis liberiensis)Journal of Morphology, Vol. 177, No. 3Energy MetabolismTHE EFFECT OF FEEDING ON OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, RQ AND PLASMA LEVELS OF GLUCOSE, FFA, AND D-β-HYDROXYBUTYRATE IN NEWBORN INFANTS OF DIABETIC MOTHERS AND SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE INFANTSActa Paediatrica, Vol. 65, No. 4Experiments with Limited Feeding of Horses Under Field Conditions13 May 2010 | Zentralblatt für Veterinärmedizin Reihe A, Vol. 22, No. 6Plasma and Blood Volume in the Calf from Birth Till 90 Days of Age1 June 1975 | Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, Vol. 16, No. 2Enzyme Induction in the Process of DevelopmentEffect of Prolonged Fasting on Carcass Composition and Blood Fatty Acids and Glucose of Neonatal SwineThe Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 104, No. 2Laboratory Animals in Nutritional ResearchGlycerokinase activity in liver and adipose tissue of developing swine (Sus domesticus)International Journal of Biochemistry, Vol. 4, No. 24In vitro fatty acid oxidation in liver and heart from neonatal swine (itsus domesticus)Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Comparative Biochemistry, Vol. 44, No. 1Pentose—phosphate pathway enzyme activity in liver of developing pigs (Sus domesticus)Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Comparative Biochemistry, Vol. 39, No. 4 More from this issue > Volume 218Issue 3March 1970Pages 662-668 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1970 by American Physiological Societyhttps://doi.org/10.1152/ajplegacy.1970.218.3.662PubMed5414024History Published online 1 March 1970 Published in print 1 March 1970 Metrics

The taxonomic status of the Pygmy hippopotamus, Choeropsis liberiensis, from the Niger Delta

The isolated and possibly extinct population of the pygmy hippopotamus in the Niger Delta is described as a new subspecies and named Choeropsis liberiensis heslopi subsp. n. Eight cranial and dental characters enable the four available skulls of this subspecies to be clearly distinguished from all available skulls of C. l. liberiensis (Morton). The range of this species is shown to be very unusual amongst the vertebrates of the West African forest.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL MEETING 9 May 1940

Captain Dollman, in referring to his exhibit of two skulls of the Pygmy Hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) from Southern Nigeria, made the following remarks:— In 1938, through the good offices of the Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of the Empire, I received an account, accompanied by photographs, sent home by Mr. I. R. P. Heslop, of two skulls of the Pygmy Hippopotamus from the Owerri and Warri Provinces, Southern Nigeria. From this evidence it was obvious that the rumours one had heard previously of the occurrence of the Pygmy Hippopotamus in Nigeria were correct, and a letter of mine, published in The Times of July 22nd, 1938, brought this interesting fact to public notice.

Protection of Wild Life in Africa

THE Convention for the Protection of the Fauna and Flora of Africa, signed on behalf of nine Govern-ments in London on November 8, 1933, became effective on January 14, 1936. The ratified articles have therefore come into force in all the African territories of Great Britain, Belgium, Egypt, the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and the Union of South Africa (Science Service, Washington, D.C.). As a result, gorilla, okapi, white rhinoceros, pigmy hippopotamus and eighteen other rare wild animals, together with the unique plant of the Kalahari Desert, Welwitschia, are now absolutely protected. Protection almost as complete is afforded to a series of animals in List A, which may not be killed for ordinary purposes at all, either by natives or whites, but may be taken in strictly limited numbers, with Government permission, for important scientific purposes. There are included such African elephants as possess tusks less than ten pounds in weight. If the tusks be heavier than ten pounds, the elephants fall into Class B, where they are partnered by black rhinoceros, the two species of giraffe, the wild ostrich and several kinds of egrets and hornbills. Class B animals may be hunted only by special licence, whereby the area, time and extent of the hunting is strictly limited and defined.

A Submarine Trough off the Coast of Cyprus

H.M.S. Ormonde, in a recent survey (1930-31) of Famagusta Bay, eastern Cyprus, has discovered a submarine trough of which the Hydrographer remarks: I do not recollect ever having seen on a chart such an abrupt and deep cleft like this. As this trough is opposite the ruins of Salamis, the first suggestion was naturally that it might have been made by the earthquakes which overthrew that city. Admiral Douglas has kindly sent me a tracing of the Survey chart, and called my attention to this discovery. The trough is half a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide, the walls are remarkably steep, the shape is rectangular, and the floor flat. The bottom at the 123-fathom sounding is grey clay. The trough notches the edge of the 100-fathom shelf which extends from the shore for 2J to 3 miles; it abruptly deflects all the contours from 150 fathoms up to 70 fathoms, but does not affect the 50-fathom line. As generalized on the Admiralty Chart of Cyprus (No. 2074,1905, about 3^ miles to the inch) the trough is marked as trending from south-west to north-east, in line with the mouth of the Pedias River, and a little south of the ruins of Salamis. The tracing of the Admiralty Survey chart on the scale of nearly 3 inches to the mile shows that this trend holds for the part of the trough between the depths of 70 fathoms and 100 fathoms; below 100 fathoms it trends from south-south-west to north-north-east, the outer part, 160 fathoms deep, trends from west-south-west to east-north-east. Two explanatipns of this trough appear possible: It may be due to excavation or to the foundering of its floor. If the former, two agents of excavation are possible?a river or the sea. Either of them requires the elevation of the area to at least 1000 feet above the present level. That elevation however presents no difliculty. The pygmy hippopotamus and the small elephant whose bones were found in the caves of northern Cyprus by Miss D. Bate* show that in recent geological times Cyprus was connected by land with the mainland, which would require an uplift at least 320 fathoms. Cyprus has been isolated by the subsidence of the surrounding sea-floor, and both the physiographic and geological evidence show that the island has shared in the subsidence. If the trough was river-cut it must have been by a former extension of the Pedias River across the plain which is now the floor of Famagusta Bay. The connection of that river with the trough is suggested by the fact that the upper part of the trough points toward its mouth. The Pedias River drains the eastern part of the broad valley that extends from Famagusta Bay westward across Cyprus to Morphpu Bay. When the area stood 600 feet above its present level the Pedias doubtless continued eastward and would have fallen over the

Distribution of the Pigmy Hippopotamus

UNTIL Major Hans Schomburgk's search in 1911–12 for the headquarters of the pigmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis), little was known of its distribution except that it hailed from the country to which it owes its specific name. Schomburgk found that it extended from the coastal belt of Liberia back to the boundary of French Sudan, but how far it spread along the coast into Sierra Leone and French Ivory Coast he could not discover (“Distribution and Habits of the Pigmy Hippopotamus”, in 17th Ann. Rep. New York Zoo. Soc., 1912 (pub. 1913), pp. 113–120). His farthest east record is from Du Queah (Dukwia) River, on the boundary between the Mamba and the Bassa Country, about 10° 15′ W. long.

Meat Production in Swamps: Introduction of Pigmy Hippopotamus Offers Opportunity for Utilization of Large Areas in Southern States to Produce Excellent Meat at Low Cost--Difficulties of Securing Breeding Stock at Last Overcome

Meat Production in Swamps: Introduction of Pigmy Hippopotamus Offers Opportunity for Utilization of Large Areas in Southern States to Produce Excellent Meat at Low Cost--Difficulties of Securing Breeding Stock at Last Overcome

Natural History Essays 1

ON the whole, Mr. Renshaw appears to have been well advised in re-issuing in book form the sixteen articles and lectures which constitute the volume before us, since several of them contain much important information with regard to species now verging on extinction, or which have been already exterminated, while all are eminently readable and full of interest. Whether the author has quite done himself justice in the title he has chosen for his work may be open to question, seeing that all the articles relate to a single subject, namely, the mammals of Africa. Undoubtedly the most generally interesting and important articles of the series are the two dealing with the quagga and the blaauwbok, next to which may perhaps be ranked those on the white rhinoceros, the pigmy hippopotamus, and the giraffe. The book is abundantly illustrated with reproductions from photographs, many of which, like the one here shown, are excellent examples of animal photography.

5. On the Pigmy Hippopotamus from the Pleistocene of Cyprus

5. On the Pigmy Hippopotamus from the Pleistocene of Cyprus