The evolution of unique cranial traits in leporid lagomorphs.

Our phylogenetic analyses found it likely that the last common ancestor of living leporids had some facial tilting, but that the last common ancestor of all lagomorphs included in the dataset did not. We found that it was likely that the last common ancestor of living leporids had fenestration that occupies the dorsal, but not the anteroventral, surface of the maxillary corpus. We also found it likely that the last common ancestor of living leporids had an intracranial joint, but that the last common ancestor of all living lagomorphs did not. These findings provide a broader context to further studies of evolutionary history and will help inform the formulation and testing of functional hypotheses.