Researchers have successfully reconstructed the skull of the extinct dwarf hippopotamus, Hippopotamus creutzburgi, utilizing advanced 3D digital imaging techniques.

It is believed that H. creutzburgi descended from a herd of H. antiquus that migrated from the Peloponnese to Crete during periods of lower sea levels in the Pleistocene.

Fossil remains of H. creutzburgi are primarily located on the Katharó plateau, although many of these remains are poorly preserved and fragmented, which poses challenges for reconstruction.

The researchers are currently preparing a scientific paper detailing the skeletal reconstruction of this unique species.

Their methodology involved segmenting and repositioning the cranium pieces using Blender, along with creating a unique 'spider-like' exoskeleton for precise retrodeformation.

This study, published in Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, marks the first complete skull reconstruction of H. creutzburgi, providing new insights into its biology.

The reconstructed skull exhibits similarities to both African hippopotamuses and dwarf Malagasy hippopotamuses, with a size comparable to that of a juvenile male African hippopotamus.

In addition to the digital reconstruction, a physical model of the H. creutzburgi skeleton has been created by the Laboratory of Vertebrate Paleontology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

It is suggested that juvenile hippopotamuses had higher survival rates than adults when swept into the sea, aiding in the establishment of a viable population on Crete.

Following the 'island rule,' the ancestors of H. creutzburgi exhibited a reduction in size after arriving on the island, a phenomenon explained by biologist Van Valen.

The extinction of H. creutzburgi remains a mystery, with various hypotheses including physical catastrophes, cold events, illness, food scarcity, or competition with later-arriving deer.

During the Pleistocene, the genus Hippopotamus expanded to various islands, including Crete, where H. creutzburgi thrived during the Early-to-early Middle Pleistocene.