Oryctolagus fossil map
Where fossils of Oryctolagus 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 | 11.63 million years ago to the present (Tortonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Leporidae |
| Named by | (Lilljeborg 1874) |
| Fossil records | 166 occurrences at 55 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Morocco, Greece, Australia, Libya, Belgium, Hungary … |
| Rock formations | txn:42163, Valdeganga, Dursunlu, Santa Maria di Ciciliano, Guadix |
About 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.
The generic name derives from Ancient Greek: ὀρυκτός (oryktos, “dug up”) and λαγώς (lagōs, “hare”).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Oryctolagus (revision 1369425143), 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: Q10803279.
