The Rabbit King of Minorca: A Giant Bunny's Journey to an Island

🐇Nuralagus rex, also known as the Rabbit King of Minorca, was a giant rabbit that lived on the Spanish island of Minorca during the Pliocene Epoch.

🏝️The unique characteristics of Nuralagus rex, including its large size, short hindlimbs, and claws, suggest that it was adapted to a different lifestyle than living rabbits.

🌊The Messinian Salinity Crisis was a period when the Mediterranean Sea almost completely dried up, leading to the formation of salt deposits and the disappearance of marine life.

🌍Geological and climatic changes, including tectonic events and climate fluctuations, played a role in the drying up and refilling of the Mediterranean Sea.

🦖The disappearance of the Mediterranean Sea during the Messinian Salinity Crisis allowed for the migration and evolution of various species, resulting in insular gigantism and dwarfism.

What is the size of Nuralagus rex compared to a normal rabbit?

—Nuralagus rex was up to six times larger than an average cottontail rabbit.

Why couldn't Nuralagus rex hop like other rabbits?

—Nuralagus rex had a stiff spine and splayed toes, which made hopping difficult. It likely had a different mode of locomotion.

What caused the Messinian Salinity Crisis?

—The Messinian Salinity Crisis was caused by a combination of tectonic events, such as the closing of the Strait of Gibraltar, and climate fluctuations that resulted in reduced water flow from the Atlantic.

How long did the Messinian Salinity Crisis last?

—The Messinian Salinity Crisis lasted for over 600,000 years, with the driest period occurring about 5.6 million years ago.

What happened to the marine life during the Messinian Salinity Crisis?

—Most marine life either migrated away or died due to the high saline and shallow conditions of the Mediterranean Sea. Some shelled creatures, like gastropods, may have survived in isolated pockets.

00:01Paleontologists discovered the fossils of a giant rabbit named Nuralagus rex on the Spanish island of Minorca.

01:58The Messinian Salinity Crisis was a period when the Mediterranean Sea almost completely dried up, resulting in salt deposits and the disappearance of marine life.

08:08During the drying of the Mediterranean Sea, land bridges allowed the migration of animals like Nuralagus rex to islands.

09:06The Mediterranean Sea refilled after the Messinian Salinity Crisis, but the exact mechanisms are still under debate.