Could human arrival have doomed Cyprus' dwarf hippos and elephants?

Around 14,000 years ago, as the last ice age receded, early sailors from the eastern Mediterranean may have been the first to set eyes on Cyprus, a heavily forested island teeming with wildlife. As The Conversation reports, among the most intriguing creatures they encountered were dwarf-sized hippopotamuses and elephants, which roamed the island without fear of human predators. These small versions of mainland species provided ample food for the new arrivals, but their abundance wouldn't last.

Researchers now suggest that early human settlers played a significant role in the extinction of these unique species, known as the dwarf hippopotamus (Phanourios minor) and the dwarf elephant (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes). Although scientists long debated the cause of their disappearance, a new study uses mathematical models to show that even a small population of humans—numbering between 3,000 and 7,000—could have hunted the animals to extinction within 1,000 years.

The findings, published in a recent study, align with evidence from fossil records showing that humans arrived on Cyprus between 14,000 and 13,000 years ago, shortly before the two species vanished. The study estimates that the dwarf hippo weighed around 130kg, while the dwarf elephant reached just over 500kg. Using data from related species such as the pygmy hippo and African elephant, researchers modeled how human hunting practices, energy needs, and processing times could have led to the extinction of these species.

The extinction of Cyprus’ megafauna is part of a broader pattern of island dwarfism in the Mediterranean, where large species on mainland areas evolved into smaller forms on isolated islands like Crete, Malta, and Sicily. While island dwarfism helped species adapt to limited resources and predators, it also made them vulnerable to rapid environmental changes—particularly the arrival of humans.

The new research sheds light on how even small human populations can disrupt fragile ecosystems and trigger the collapse of native species, offering important lessons for understanding the impact of humans on biodiversity throughout history.

[Information sourced from The Conversation]