Could the Thames River basin once have been home to abundant hippopotami?

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SUMMARY

During the last inter-glacial (LIG), approximately 120,000 years ago, the Thames River basin was likely home to a significant population of hippopotami, as indicated by research from Petersen & Lieberman (2012). Global temperatures during this period were around 2°C warmer than today, particularly affecting upper mid-latitudes. Current projections suggest that the present interglacial may exceed these temperatures, supported by NOAA's astronomical calculations regarding 65N summer insolation over the next 25,000 years. Additionally, CO2 levels were recorded at 401.58 ppm in October 2015, contributing to climate changes.

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klimatos
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During the last inter-glacial (LIG), which ended some 120,000 years ago, hippopotami appear to have been abundant in the Thames River basin near what is now London. (Petersen & Lieberman, 2012) It appears that global temperatures were some 2°C warmer (less in the tropics, more in the upper mid-latitudes) during the LIG.

The current interglacial bids fair to surpass those temperatures, if NOAA is to be believed: "Astronomical calculations show that 65N summer insolation should increase gradually over the next 25,000 years, . . . http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/milankovitch.html

And that's not counting the effects of increased CO2 levels (401.58 ppm as of October of 2015).
 
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There still are some in nearby zoos.