biology

List of lagomorphs

List of lagomorphs is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of lagomorphs rather than just read about it. In short: Lagomorpha is an order of placental mammals, comprising the rabbits, hares, and pikas. Members of this order are called lagomorphs.

Key takeaways

List of lagomorphs belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of lagomorphs to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of lagomorphs from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lagomorpha is an order of placental mammals, comprising the rabbits, hares, and pikas. Members of this order are called lagomorphs. It currently comprises 93 extant species, which are grouped into 12 genera. Lagomorphs live on every major landmass except Antarctica, and in a variety of habitats, especially forests, grasslands, shrublands, and rocky areas. They are generally small in size and come in two main groupings of body plans, the larger rabbit group and smaller pika group, ranging overall from the 11 cm (4 in) long Gansu pika to the 76 cm (30 in) long desert hare. The domestic rabbit subspecies of the European rabbit has been domesticated, resulting in a worldwide distribution. Lagomorpha is divided into two families: Leporidae, comprising the rabbits and hares; and Ochotonidae, or the pikas. The 64 extant species of Leporidae are divided into 11 genera, though the majority of the species are placed into Sylvilagus (cottontail rabbits) and Lepus (hares); the 29 extant species of Ochotonidae are grouped into a single genus, Ochotona. The exact organization of the species is not fixed, with many recent proposals made based on molecular phylogenetic analysis. No lagomorph species have recently gone extinct, though some species are endangered and the riverine rabbit is critically endangered.

Conventions The author citation for the species or genus is given after the scientific name; parentheses around the author citation indicate that this was not the original taxonomic placement. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the collective range of species in that genera is provided. Ranges are based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species unless otherwise noted. All extinct genera or species listed alongside extant species went extinct after 1500 CE, and are indicated by a dagger symbol "†".

Classification

The order Lagomorpha consists of 93 extant species belonging to 12 genera. This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species. Modern molecular studies indicate that the 12 genera can be grouped into 2 families.

Lagomorphs The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists.

Family Leporidae

Members of the Leporidae family are called leporids, or colloquially rabbits and hares. Leporidae comprises 73 extant species, divided into 11 genera.

Family Ochotonidae

Members of the Ochotonidae family are called ochotonids, or colloquially pikas. Ochotonidae comprises 34 extant species, which are all contained within a single genus.

References

Sources

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of lagomorphs

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of lagomorphs claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of lagomorphs before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of lagomorphs ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of lagomorphs

In research: List of lagomorphs appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of lagomorphs in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of lagomorphs is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lagomorpha, Lists of animal genera, Lists of lagomorphs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of lagomorphs outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study List of lagomorphs in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what List of lagomorphs means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain List of lagomorphs out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of lagomorphs in simple terms?

Lagomorpha is an order of placental mammals, comprising the rabbits, hares, and pikas. Members of this order are called lagomorphs.

Why does List of lagomorphs matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of lagomorphs?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of lagomorphs.