Archaeologists discover remains of ancient pigmy hippo in Greece (photo)
Archaeologists have discovered the fossils of an ancient pygmy hippo on an island in Greece. The preserved remains, which date back to 350,000 BC, were discovered in Crete.
The discovery was made last week on the Kataro Plateau on Mount Dikti, east of the popular resort island. This is the first time that such a "high concentration of pygmy hippo fossils" has been found in Greece, according to Newsweek.
The pygmy hippo, or dwarf hippo, is a small member of the hippo family. Currently, the animals are native to West Africa and live in swamps and forests.
The Qatar Plateau is located at an altitude of about 3600 feet above sea level. Fossils are often found in such high places where centuries of soil and sediment cover the bones and eventually bury them.
Other animals have been found in Crete and other Greek islands. Pygmy elephants were found to have lived on Aegean islands including Naxos and Rhodes. Such fossils can inform researchers about ecosystems that existed thousands of years ago.
As a reminder, a Celtic city dating back more than 2,000 years was found in Spain.
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