Pygmy hippopotamus the pygmy hippopotamus, are considered dwarf hippopotamuses, rather than pygmies. They are likely descended from a full-sized species of European hippopotamus, and reached their small size through the evolutionary process of insular dwarfism which is common on islands; the ancestors of pygmy hippopotami were also small and thus there was never a dwarfing process. There were also several species of pygmy hippo on the island of Madagascar (see Malagasy hippopotamus). Pygmy hippos share the same general form as a hippopotamus. They have a graviportal skeleton, with four stubby legs and four toes on each foot, supporting a portly frame. The
Longnose pygmy shark suggesting that it was close to the birth size. Males and females attain sexual maturity at under long respectively. Only six specimens of the longnose pygmy shark are known to science. Its small size and oceanic habits appear to preclude its capture by most fisheries. Coupled with its wide distribution, this species does not seem threatened by human activity and has been listed under Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Longnose pygmy shark The longnose pygmy shark ("Heteroscymnoides marleyi") is a rare species of dogfish shark in the family Dalatiidae and the only member its