Oryctolagus
Oryctolagus is a genus of lagomorph that today contains the European rabbit and its descendant, the domestic rabbit, as well as several fossil species.
| Oryctolagus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Lagomorpha |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Genus: | Oryctolagus Lilljeborg, 1873 |
| Type species | |
| Oryctolagus cuniculus | |
| Species | |
|
1 living, several extinct (see text) | |
Evolution
Oryctolagus first appeared at the end of the Miocene, around 6.5 MYA.[1] Fossil remains from the middle Pliocene led to the recognition of two species, Oryctolagus lacosti in southern France and northwestern Italy and Oryctolagus laynensis in the Iberian Peninsula. This latter form is thought to be the origin of the extant species.[2]
Species
- Oryctolagus cuniculus - European rabbit
- Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus - Domestic rabbit
Jawbone of O. lacosti.
- †Oryctolagus lacosti
- †Oryctolagus laynensis
References
- Lopez-Martinez, N. "Revision sistematica y biostratigrafica de los lagomorphos (Mammalia) del neogeno y cuaternario de España". Memorias del Museo Paleontologico de la Universidad de Zaragoza. Disputacion General de Aragon.
- Branco, M.; Ferrand, N.; Monnerot, M. (2000). "Phylogeography of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the Iberian Peninsula inferred from RFLP analysis of the cytochrome b gene". Heredity. 85: 307–317. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2540.2000.00756.x.
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