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

Location: Brule Formation, Pennington County, South Dakota

Weight: 0.2 Ounces

Dimensions: 0.5 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 represents an ancient lagomorph lineage from the Oligocene epoch, offering a window into early rabbit evolution in North America. This extinct species exhibits primitive characteristics that bridge ancestral mammals and contemporary rabbits and hares. Fossil remains—predominantly cranial and dental material—reveal specialized dentition with continuously growing incisors and grinding molars adapted for herbivorous feeding. Unlike modern rabbits, Palaeolagus hayeni possessed less developed hopping mechanics, instead employing a generalized running or scurrying locomotion. Examination of these specimens illuminates the evolutionary trajectory and adaptive radiation of lagomorphs, establishing crucial connections in the fossil record that document the transition from early forms to modern leporids. This jaw section with teeth exemplifies the diagnostic dental features essential for species identification and paleontological classification.