Leporidae Fischer, 1817 (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) from a Quaternary deposit in Brazil: taxonomic and taphonomic comments

Abstract

Leporidae (Lagomorpha) is a clade of small mammals that include rabbits and hares, rarely found in paleontological and archaeological sites and, therefore, leporids are poorly studied in South America. During the Quaternary, many limestone caves worked as natural traps for several groups of animals, including Leporidae. The Cuvieri Cave, part of the Lagoa Santa (Minas Gerais state, Brazil) karst complex, preserved a large amount of the remains of these animals. The present study describes the osteological material (mandibles, jaws and some appendicular bones) assigned to Sylvilagus cf. brasiliensis, which were found in the Cuvieri Cave. In addition, we reviewed the occurrences of these animals in Quaternary sites and compared the radiometric ages obtained with the frequency of occurrences of this taxon. The specimens were present in the late Pleistocene, reappearing in the middle Holocene and persisting until recently.