Gomphos

  • Mongolia
  • Inner Mongolia

Gomphos elkema is an ancestor of rabbits and hares, which lived 55 million years ago. Fossil remains have been discovered by researchers at Robert Asher from the Berlin Museum of Natural History in Nemegt - basins of the Gobi Desert (Mongolia).

As with today's rabbits, belonging to the order of lagomorphs ( Lagomorpha ), the incisors of Gomphos elkema grew back. Gomphos elkema had long hind legs, which made him a hoppelndes progress possible. Rather, today's squirrel (and rodents ) is similar to a longer tail and armed with tips molars.

Source

  • Robert J. Asher et al. Stem Lagomorpha and the Antiquity of Glires. Science 18 February 2005: Vol 307 no 5712, 1091-4 PMID 15718468
Mya (unit) Euarchontoglires Genus Leporidae Science (journal)
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