This study provides a complete morphological description and functional analysis of the carpal bones of the endemic pygmy hippopotamus Phanourios minor, derived from the Upper Pleistocene site of Ayia Napa. From this deposit, numerous skeletal remains of this fossil hippo have been collected, making the locality one of the richest in Cyprus. The carpal bones were compared with those of extant hippopotamuses, to determine the changes that occurred in the fossil hippo. Examination of the elements showed that Phanourios presented some important features that were common among the endemic fossil ungulates of the Mediterranean islands. The carpal bones display a proximal–distal compression due to shortening of the distal part of the leg, due to the new ecological island conditions. However, they are robust with rough areas for strong muscular and ligament insertions, providing stability to the carpal joints, and low speed movement to the animal. The great flexor capabilities, and the limitation in ulnar deviation of the carpus, indicate that P. minor had increased agility in the sagittal plane and restricted transverse movements, while the suggestion of a more unguligrade stance for the species is ambiguous. Thus, the endemic Cypriot hippos developed specialized locomotion, suitable for walking on the rugged terrain of Cyprus, which seems to be different from that of its extant counterparts.

The inner morphology of the petrosal bone of the endemic elephant of Tilos Island, Greece

Bovidae display a distinctive cranial architecture, characterised by multifarious frontal sinuses varying in size and shape. These features are usually considered to be of phylogenetic importance and their functional importance still remains elusive. Pneumatisation is the process in which cranial sinuses result from the resorption and deposition of the bone in response to biomechanical stress. In this study, we use high resolution computed tomography (CT-scanning) to identify these internal cranial structures on 12 bovid cranial specimens from Upper Miocene Greek localities. The present study focuses on two genera, Tragoportax and Miotragocerus, so as to explore the variance inside this group in terms of frontal sinuses. The non-destructive nature of this method allows 3D digital representation of cranial internal features of fossilised material in high resolution, providing also volumetric data of the sinuses. We demonstrate the unique internal morphology that these species possess. This morphology is comprised by wide frontal sinuses conforming closely to the shape of the frontal bone and that extend up to the base of their horn cores. The volume of the sinuses was strongly correlated to the frontal bone size and cranial volume.