0.4" Palaeolagus Hayeni Fossil Jaw Section Teeth Oligocene Epoch South Dakota Display

Location: Brule Formation, Pennington County, South Dakota

Weight: 0.2 Ounces

Dimensions: 0.4 Inches Long, 0.4 Inches Wide, 0.2 Inches Thick

Comes with a free display.

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

Oligocene epoch, 33.9 to 23 million years ago

Palaeolagus hayeni is an extinct species of early rabbit that lived in North America during the Oligocene epoch, roughly 33 to 23 million years ago. It belonged to the genus Palaeolagus, which is considered one of the earliest and most primitive groups of lagomorphs. This genus is significant because it exhibits transitional features that connect ancestral mammals to modern rabbits and hares, providing key insights into the evolutionary history of this order.

Fossil evidence of Palaeolagus hayeni primarily consists of cranial and dental remains. Its teeth display the classic lagomorph adaptation of continuously growing incisors, along with cheek teeth designed for grinding fibrous plant material. These features indicate that it had a herbivorous diet, likely feeding on soft leaves, fruits, and possibly seeds available in the Oligocene landscapes. Unlike modern rabbits, Palaeolagus hayeni had a limb structure suggesting a more generalized cursorial or scampering gait rather than specialized hopping. This implies that it was adapted to a variety of terrains, perhaps moving cautiously through open forests, woodlands, or forest-savanna ecotones.

Small in size, with a slender body and relatively simple digestive system compared to later lagomorphs, Palaeolagus hayeni occupied an ecological niche as a nimble browser of low-growing vegetation. Studying this species helps paleontologists understand how early lagomorphs diversified and adapted to changing environments during the Oligocene. Its anatomical traits, habitat preferences, and evolutionary significance make Palaeolagus hayeni an important species for tracing the lineage of modern rabbits and hares, shedding light on the gradual development of traits such as hopping locomotion, specialized dentition, and social behaviors seen in later species.