Kingdom Animalia Family Giraffidae Rank Genus | Class Mammalia Phylum Chordata Order Even-toed ungulate | |
Similar Even‑toed ungulate, Bramatherium, Helladotherium, Giraffokeryx, Injanatherium | ||
Hydaspitherium is an extinct genus of giraffid artiodactyl.
Giraffids are represented in the late Miocene of the Siwaliks by large Sivatheriinae such as Sivatherium, Bramatherium, Helladotherium, and Hydaspitherium. It has been proposed that Hydapitherium is synonymous with Bramatherium. H. megacephalum is restricted to the Dhok Pathan Formation (33.6°N 72.5°E / 33.6; 72.5, paleocoordinates 30.9°N 73.9°E / 30.9; 73.9) in northern Pakistan.
Four separate species of Hydaspitherium were described more than a century ago, but Bhatti, Khan & Akhtar 2012 concluded that their differences can be explained as sexual dimorphism and intraspecific variability: H. birmanicum (Pilgrim 1910) is based on a single right upper molar. H. grande (Lydekker 1878) and H. magnum (Pilgrim 1910) are only slightly larger than H. megacephalum and the variation in dentition does not support separate taxa. Bhatti et al. 2012 accepted two species in the Siwaliks: the smaller H. megacephalum and the larger H. grande until more material has been collected.