l'ippopotamo

The latest studies on the origins of ippopotamidi suggests that hippos and whales share a common semi-aquatic ancestor that would be differentiated from other Artiodactyla about 60 million years ago, only to give birth, about 54 million years ago, two distinct branches , from one of which evolved cetaceans, probably from the proto-whale Pakicetuse other ArchaeocetiSu this basis the hippos would have more in common with whales than what they have with other tertiary artiodattili.Nell'era had to be several species of hippos, from which are the only two runs that still survive to this day: the amphibious hippopotamus (Hippopotamus) and the pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis), which has remained closest to the ancient forms. 

The distribution area of ​​both species shows how they currently tend to ridursi.Tra the end of the Pliocene and early Pleistocene, 2-3 million years ago, many species of hippos living in Asia (including Sri Lanka), in Europe and in Africa (including Madagascar), the only continent in which survived. Three or four of them, including hippopotamus gorgops, who lived in deeper waters than those visited dall'ippopotamo current amphibian, lived in the same regions. Only 120 000 years ago, the hippopotamus still wallowed in the large rivers of those territories that now make up England. Crete and Cyprus have hosted up to 10 000 years ago, a hippopotamus (Hippopotamus minutus).

 The excavations conducted between 1980 and 1987 in Cyprus have brought to light the remains of hippos along with traces of human activity: it will perhaps be the man to accelerate the disappearance of this animal from the eastern Mediterranean islands? Even in Madagascar were found remains of small hippopotamus (Hippopotamus lemerlei edHippopotamus madagascariensis), then the only ungulate native to the island, and still lived up to 2000 years ago. 

It is thought that a violent change of climate it has caused the disappearance, just at the moment when the man arrived on the island, the low valley in an era dating back approximately at the beginning of cristiana.Gli hippos lived a time of Nile. 
For the ancient Egyptians, their round and massive appearance evoked a goddess of fertility, and under these appearances were often represented in bassorilievi.Oggi in Africa the hippopotamus still has an important role in people's lives, rivers and lakes. And this is not just a role related to food: in fact this animal is part of the culture of the ethnic groups in the midst of which he lives. For example, in the Niger Delta, during the Owu water festival, some participants bring a ippopotamo.L'ippopotamo mask on his head has a head-body length from 3.30 to 3.75 m and is high at the withers 1.50 m; the weight ranges from 1.4 to 3 t (males are much larger than the females) and registers a jaw pressure of about 400 kg / cm².