Hydaspitherium

Hydaspitherium Temporal range: Late Miocene–Early Pliocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Giraffidae
Subfamily:	†Sivatheriinae
Genus:	†Hydaspitherium Lydekker, 1878
Species:	†H. megacephalum
Binomial name
†Hydaspitherium megacephalum Lydekker, 1878
Synonyms
Hydaspidotherium[1]

Hydaspitherium is an extinct genus of giraffid artiodactyls that lived during the Cenozoic era during the Miocene epoch to the Pliocene epoch in Pakistan.^[2] Giraffids are represented in the late Miocene epoch of the Siwaliks by large Sivatheriinae such as Sivatherium, Bramatherium, Helladotherium, and Hydaspitherium. Hydaspitherium has been proposed to be synonymous with Bramatherium. H. megacephalum is restricted to the Dhok Pathan Formation (33°36′N 72°30′E / 33.6°N 72.5°E / 33.6; 72.5, paleocoordinates 30°54′N 73°54′E / 30.9°N 73.9°E / 30.9; 73.9)^[3] in northern Pakistan.^{[4]: Introduction}

Four separate species of Hydaspitherium were described more than a century ago, but their differences can be explained as sexual dimorphism and intraspecific variability: H. birmanicum is based on a single right upper molar. H. grande and H. magnum are only slightly larger than H. megacephalum and the variation in dentition does not support separate taxa. It is possible these represent two species in the Siwaliks: the smaller H. megacephalum and the larger H. grande, but this is unclear until more material has been collected.^[4]: 807

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