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The phylogeny and taxonomy of Hippopotamidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla): a review based on morphology and cladistic analysis

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BOISSERIE, JEAN-RENAUD·2005·Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
DOI 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2004.00138.x
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Abstract

The phylogeny and taxonomy of the whole family Hippopotamidae is in need of reconsideration, the present confusion obstructing palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography studies of these Neogene mammals. The revision of the Hippopotamidae initiated here deals with the last 8 Myr of African and Asian species. The first thorough cladistic analysis of the family is presented here. The outcome of this analysis, including 37 morphological characters coded for 15 extant and fossil taxa, as well as non-coded features of mandibular morphology, was used to reconstruct broad outlines of hippo phylogeny. Distinct lineages within the paraphyletic genus Hexaprotodon are recognized and characterized. In order to harmonize taxonomy and phylogeny, two new genera are created. The genus name Choeropsis is re-validated for the extant Liberian hippo. The nomen Hexaprotodon is restricted to the fossil lineage mostly known in Asia, but also including at least one African species. The genus Hippopotamus is confirmed. These changes represent substantial advances for understanding the evolutionary history of the Hippopotamidae, and provide a new framework for future studies.

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  • Hippopotamids are believed to have originated in Africa sometime in the mid-Miocene period, approximately 11-16 million years ago, in the areas of modern-day Kenya and Tunisia.

    “Hippopotamids are believed to have originated in Africa sometime in the mid-Miocene period, approximately 11-16 million years ago, in the areas of modern-day Kenya and Tunisia (Pickford 1983;Boisserie 2005).”

    From Choeropsis liberiensis (Artiodactyla: Hippopotamidae) (2019) · cites this paper as Boisserie 2005

    The Introduction says Hippopotamidae most probably had their roots in Africa during the middle Miocene. It mentions a Miocene hippopotamid from Kenya, but does not identify Kenya or Tunisia as places of origin or give the specific 11–16-million-year range. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Recent molecular phylogenetic studies and comparative morphological analyses support Hippopotamidae and Cetacea as forming a monophyletic group.

    “Recent molecular phylogenetic studies and comparative morphological analyses have supported Hippopotamidae and Cetacea as forming a monophyletic group (Shimamura et al. 1997;Nomura et al. 1998;Ursing and Arnason 1998;Nomura and Yasue 1999;Geisler and Uhen 2003;Boisserie 2005;Boisserie et al. 2005;Fisher et al. 2007);”

    From Choeropsis liberiensis (Artiodactyla: Hippopotamidae) (2019) · cites this paper as Boisserie 2005

  • Boisserie (2005) concluded that the mix of primitive and derived features of the extant pygmy hippo gives it a distinct lineage, validating the genus Choeropsis for the pygmy hippo and restricting the genus Hexaprotodon to the fossil lineage found mostly in Asia.

    “Most recently, Boisserie (2005) concluded that the mix of primitive and derived features of the extant pygmy hippo gives it a distinct lineage, validating the genus Choeropsis for the pygmy hippo and restricting the genus Hexaprotodon to the fossil lineage found mostly in Asia (Falconer and Cautley 1836).”

    From Choeropsis liberiensis (Artiodactyla: Hippopotamidae) (2019) · cites this paper as Boisserie 2005

  • Choeropsis liberiensis is the only extant species in the genus Choeropsis.

    “Choeropsis liberiensis (Morton, 1849), commonly called the pygmy hippopotamus or pygmy hippo, is the only extant species in the genus Choeropsis.”

    From Choeropsis liberiensis (Artiodactyla: Hippopotamidae) (2019) · cites this paper as Boisserie 2005

  • The earliest remains that unequivocally resemble extant hippos appeared in the fossil record in the late Miocene, around 8 million years ago.

    “The earliest remains that unequivocally resemble extant hippos appeared in the fossil record in the late Miocene, around 8 million years ago (Weston 2000), and later within this period its range also extended into parts of Eurasia (Boisserie 2005).”

    From Choeropsis liberiensis (Artiodactyla: Hippopotamidae) (2019) · cites this paper as Boisserie 2005

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Research works printed but not linked: 32

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  30. Boisserie, J.-R. (2005). The phylogeny and taxonomy of Hippopotamidae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla): a review based on morphology and cladistic analysis. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 143(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2004.00138.x
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Authors
BOISSERIE, J.-R.
Affiliations
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
Corresponding author
BOISSERIE, JEAN-RENAUD
ORCID
BOISSERIE, JEAN-RENAUD
Venue
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2005-01
Volume
143
Issue
1
Pages
1-26
ISSN
  • 0024-4082 (ISSN-L)
  • 1096-3642
DOI
10.1111/j.1096-3642.2004.00138.x
OpenAlex
W2055614802
Cited by
122
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI
5.48
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (publishedVersion)
  • reroDoc Digital Library (submittedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Urology › Comparative Animal Anatomy Studies
Keywords
hippopotamus, Hexaprotodon, Neogene mammals, fossil mammals, mandible morphology, cladistic analysis, new genus, paleobiogeography

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