Scientists have uncovered a mystery regarding the extinction of dwarf hippos and dwarf elephants that once roamed the landscape of Cyprus before the arrival of the first humans. During the Late Pleistocene, Cyprus hosted only two species of megafauna – the dwarf elephant (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes) and the dwarf hippo (Phanourios minor). However, both species became extinct immediately after the arrival of humans around 14,000 years ago.