Lepus fossil map
Where fossils of Lepus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04 million years ago to the present (Aquitanian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Leporidae |
| Named by | Linnaeus 1758 |
| Fossil records | 756 occurrences at 279 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada, South Africa, Italy, Greenland, Egypt, Romania, Spain, Greece, Kenya … |
| Rock formations | txn:42163, Nubia, "unnamed sandstone", Shungura, Kingsdown, Palm Spring |
About Lepus
Hares are mammals belonging to the genus Lepus. They are herbivores and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in depressions in the ground called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The genus includes the largest lagomorphs. Most are fast runners with long, powerful hind legs, and large ears that dissipate body heat. Hare species are native to Africa, Eurasia and North America. A hare less than one year old is called a leveret. A group of hares may be called either a husk or a down.
Members of the Lepus genus are considered true hares, distinguishing them from rabbits which make up the rest of the Leporidae family. There are five species with common names that include the word "hare" which are not considered true hares: the hispid hare, and four species known as red rock hares (belonging to the genus Pronolagus). Conversely, several Lepus species are called "jackrabbits", but classed as hares rather than rabbits. The pet known as the Belgian hare is a domesticated European rabbit which has been selectively bred to resemble a hare.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hare (revision 1379151274), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q46076.
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