Link to aritcle: Rabbit and man: genetic and historic approach

How did rabbits get to all of the countries and continents they currently live on? Over the next few weeks, possibly months, I'll post various articles and findings regarding this very topic. Let's begin with the beginning: Western Europe.

"Rabbit and man: genetic and historic approach" (link is attached to the name, feel free to click on it and read the article) is a good discussion on the genetic history of the domestic rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus. For those readers that don't want to get too deep into the article--the authors substantiate the oft accepted history that the domestic rabbit largely originated from two maternal lines located in Iberia and France. Tracing common genetic markers, the authors find man caused the world-wide colonization of the rabbit. In short, all those rabbits, on every continent, are related.

Tracing the timeline of rabbit colonization begins with the 6.5 million year old rabbit fossil found in Andalusia. Further data shows that glacial events localized rabbits to Iberia and Mediterranean France up to about 12,000 years ago. (Note from Karen Horn: This makes sense as both areas remained temperate zones and did not experience the long, harsh winters of the rest of Europe.) It is only after the 17th century that we find rabbit herds outside of Western Europe.

The actual relocation process needs a great deal more research and study. Phoenician, Greek and Roman people may have play a role, but the strongest evidence for man's role does not begin until the 12th century when the monasteries built warrens and kept rabbits for meat. The authors agree domestication was complete by the 16th century when it was common to find three kinds of rabbits: wild; those kept for hunting and domestic stock. According to this study, all three groups are genetically related.

These genetic similarities could only occur if man did not keep rabbits strictly domestic, but allowed at least some to return to the wild. The authors themselves do not search to substantiate further if this is true.

This is a completely reasonable conclusion. During the Middle Ages, rabbits were indeed kept on large, open pieces of land as "colonies", not in the cages and barns modern man utilizes. As a result, it was common for members of the herd to run off. As you might expect given the economic climate of the Middle Ages, it was an expensive hobby and those who did raise rabbits imported huge quantities to offset the number that returned to the wild. It is of little wonder that it took only the 1000 years that mark the Medieval period for wild rabbit to become common in every western European country.

Note: If you are seeking to use this post for research purposes, please contact Karen Horn for a more professional article which includes references.