''Oryctolagus'' is a genus of

lagomorph The lagomorphs are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae (hares and rabbits) and the Ochotonidae (pikas). The name of the order is derived from the Ancient Greek ''lagos'' (λαγ� ...

that today contains the

European rabbit The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (including Spain, Portugal, and southwestern France), western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has b ...

and its descendant, the domestic rabbit, as well as several fossil species. The generic name derives from

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

ὀρυκτός (''oryktos'', “dug up”) and λαγώς (''lagōs'', “hare”).

Evolution

''Oryctolagus'' first appeared at the end of the Miocene, around 6.5 MYA. Fossil remains from the middle Pliocene led to the recognition of two species, '' Oryctolagus lacosti'' in southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and northwestern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and '' Oryctolagus laynensis'' in the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...

. This latter form is thought to be the origin of the extant species.

Species

*''

Oryctolagus cuniculus The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (including Spain, Portugal, and southwestern France), western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has b ...

'' - European rabbit **'' Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus'' - Domestic rabbit

*†'' Oryctolagus lacosti'' *†'' Oryctolagus laynensis''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10803279 Mammal genera Mammal genera with one living species Taxa named by Wilhelm Lilljeborg Leporidae