Philippines: Fossilized species of dwarf buffalo species on the island of Cebu

American researchers have discovered a " dwarf " case on the island of Cebu in the Philippines. This time it was a buffalo that had grown so small that it was just a big sheep. This unknown buffalo species lived thousands of years ago in the Pleistocein period and was named Bubalus cebuensis.

Fossil bones of dwarf buffalo were discovered more than 50 years ago by an American mining engineer working in the Philippines. It was only taken into the Field Museum in Chicago not long ago and identified.

The buffalo is about 76cm tall and weighs 159kg, while the Asian buffalo has an average height of 1.8m and weighs over 900kg. The smallest buffalo known as Bubalus mindorensis in the Philippine island of Mindoro weighs over 225kg and is nearly 1m high.

In islands, the absence of large animals that eat prey or limited food sources may cause some species to be dwarfed. Currently the case of Flores dwarfs discovered in Indonesia has been controversial in scientists. Is this a new strain or is Homo sapiens suffering from small headaches?

(Photo: nationalgeographic)

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