Oryctolagus lacosti

Oryctolagus lacosti
Temporal range: Late Pliocene
Jawbone of O. lacosti
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Leporidae
Genus: Oryctolagus
Species:
†O. lacosti
Binomial name
†Oryctolagus lacosti
(Pomel, 1853)

Oryctolagus lacosti is an extinct species of large rabbit from the Late Pliocene of France.[1] It is closely related to the living European rabbit.

Description

This species is known for being much larger than its living relative, comparable in size to hares of the genus Lepus.[2] Despite being comparable in size to the living brown hare, its lower incisor shape and limb proportions match those of the living Oryctolagus, confirming its position as a rabbit rather than a hare.[3]

References

  1. ^ de Marfa, Roger; Mein, Pierre (2007). "Revision of Oryctolagus lacosti (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) from the Upper Pliocene of Perrier (Auvergne, France)". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 6 (5): 327–334. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2007.05.003.
  2. ^ Lumpkin, Susan; Seidensticker, John (February 2011). Rabbits: The Animal Answer Guide. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 28. ISBN 9781421401263.
  3. ^ Kurten, Bjorn (2017). Pleistocene Mammals of Europe. Taylor & Francis. p. 228. ISBN 9781351499484.