Originally posted by CMIPalaeo:[image]
Some hippos!
The larger hippo in the back is the extinct gorgon hippo Hippopotamus gorgops. It is, as far as I know, the biggest hippo, standing something like 170 cm at the shoulder, and a large male could probably weigh 4-5 tonnes. It lived in Africa and Eurasia until about 2 million years ago, and had somewhat longer legs than modern hippos, as well as eyes set on higher 'turrets' so it could see while otherwise completely submerged.
The smaller hippo in the front is the modern (but endangered!) pygmy hippo Hexaprotodon (or Choeropsis) liberiensis. This is an adult, despite its small size. They stand only about 75-90 cm at the shoulder. These rainforest hippos spend more time on land than their larger cousins.