“Mitochondrial sequences of the extinct Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus confirm its phylogenetic placement” published in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

Our researchers led a successful analysis of ancient DNA from petrous bones of this extinct Mediterranean species despite the region’s notoriously adverse environmental conditions for DNA preservation. Their study constitutes the first step towards reconstruction of the molecular phylogeny of Mediterranean Hippopotaminae.

The article is authored by Nikolaos Psonis, Despoina Vassou, Loucas Nicolaou, Socrates Roussiakis, George Iliopoulos, Nikos Poulakakis, and Spyros Sfenthourakis.

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