Biology:Oryctolagus
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Oryctolagus (/ˌɔːrɪkˈtɑːləɡəs/) is a genus of lagomorph that today contains the European rabbit and its descendant, the domestic rabbit, as well as several fossil species.
The generic name derives from Ancient Greek: ὀρυκτός (oryktos, “dug up”) and λαγώς (lagōs, “hare”).[1]
Evolution
Oryctolagus first appeared at the end of the Miocene, around 6.5 MYA.[2] 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.[3]
Species
- Oryctolagus cuniculus - European rabbit
- Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus - Domestic rabbit

- †Oryctolagus laynensis - Spain, Late Pliocene
- †Oryctolagus lacosti - France, Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene
- †Oryctolagus giberti - Spain, France, and Portugal, Early Pleistocene[4][5]
- †Oryctolagus valdarnensis - Italy, Early Pleistocene[4]
References
- ↑ Savory, Theodore Horace (January 16, 1962). "Naming the living world". https://books.google.com/books?id=tsxOAQAAIAAJ&q=oryktos,+dug+up+lagus.
- ↑ 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 (4): 307–317. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2540.2000.00756.x. PMID 11122408. Bibcode: 2000Hered..85..307B.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Pelletier, Maxime (October 2025). "Origin, evolution and biogeographic dynamics of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Southwestern Europe". The Anatomical Record Special Issue: 1-35. doi:10.1002/ar.70072.
- ↑ de Marfà, Roger (July 2008). "Oryctolagus giberti n. sp. (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) du Pléistocène inférieur de Cueva Victoria (Murcie, Espagne)". Comptes Rendus Palevol 7 (5): 305-313. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2008.03.003.
Template:Lagomorpha Template:Lagomorpha Genera Wikidata ☰ Q10803279 entry
