The Evolution Of The Hare

[birddog 1,354]

Think everyone has hit the nail on the head in some form or other here. Birddog, from what i've read somewhere there is a theory that the hare was originally a forest dweller and mans interference and subsiquent clearing of the forest pushed them onto open ground, no different than red deer. Certainly round here hares live 70% of there time in woodland and only venture out after dark, though to be fair, most are on fecking vallium due to year round hunters, so I'll discount them...!

As for which preditor, i'd go as far as to say just about every one, just about every preditor that has inhabited this land would have a punt at a hare if one was spotted and in range, from wolves to eagles and all that are in the middle... These would have had a hand in speeding up this incredible animal, though there must have been a pre species that 'decided' to stay on top and not burrow.

 

I agree most predators are likely to have a punt, our hares too seem to favour life under the canopy as i see lots in woodland. I also somewhere think I have read that their natural habitat is woodland but didn't like too say it without the back up of where it came from. Struggling a wee bit though with the pre species idea according to Tegners book the brown hare is supposed to have came to britain in comparatively late post Pleistocene (which started 2588000yrs ago) and the original hares the irish, scottish and blue were all here earlier, so for my logic a pre species to this would be questionable

[juckler123 707]

Theres a few that reckon when we were connected to mainland europe during the last ice age and thats when the brown hare came here.

Its a mammal thats always been run that alone is bound to keep the speed there and nowadays better fodder crops for them to survive.

On a few places ive been to over the years the odd ones know how to go to ground as well when pressured is this getting passed on i wonder .

Edited April 23, 2012 by juckler123

[stewie 3,387]

the early Egyptians coursed hare type animals with greyhound type dogs in 2200bc so how far do we go back into their history?????

 

personally i think it pretty simple!! the fit and fast ones lived to outrun the hunters (human or animal) and breed, the slow ones never

[stewie 3,387]

,,

Edited April 23, 2012 by lurcher1

[morton 5,367]

The hare in one form or another as evolved over millenia,its physical make up and natural instinct as taught it to run from danger,at speed,over long distances.It will have evolved alongside canine,feline and avian predators most of which it will not have encountered for centuries.I often encounter them in woodland and heavy cover during the day and find that they will readily run to ground to escape pursuit,drains,warrens,rock crevices etc,i think this must be part and parcel of their evolution,they always seem to seek cover,if possible to evade capture,whether this was protection from airbourne predators i can only guess,an impressive animal.

[MOO 730]

the early Egyptians coursed hare type animals with greyhound type dogs in 2200bc so how far do we go back into their history?????

 

personally i think it pretty simple!! the fit and fast ones lived to outrun the hunters (human or animal) and breed, the slow ones never

I totaly disagree that man had anything to do with the evolution of the hare ...hares were around way before man ...so its not as simple as you would like to make it out to be ....If you go on youtube there is a vid with some lads somewhere hunting hares with eagles and there birds take them with ease it just shows you how fast and agile these big birds of prey are but they certainly dont test a hare or the hare test them .

Moll I agree with you in some way but most of europe and the uk was covered in forrest and de forestation to allow for modern day farming is historicaly just a recent event ...and its right what morton says a hare will always head for cover when chased ...imo there must of been animals that are not around today that had much to do with the evolution of the hare .

[juckler123 707]

Theres been at least a dozen ice ages in the northern hemisphere more than likely the trees would have been long gone and the brown hares with them if they were ever here pretty sure theres no fossil records for browns that date that far back interestingly they say irish hares are from the ice age as some of ireland didnt get covered heres a piece worth a read.

http://www.hare-pres...o.uk/irish.html

Edited April 24, 2012 by juckler123