soruses

Soruses are a type of genus of extinct hares belonging to the family Leporidae. Known from fossil records found in the European continent, soruses are thought to have lived during the Pleistocene epoch.

The most well-known species of sorus is Sorex wislowi, which is found in Russia and is credited to have a size larger than any modern European hare. It measured approximately 19 kg (range was from 12 to 28) with an approximate 140 cm in length and was estimated to have similar physical endogeny to some large-sized rabbits and hares of present day epoch.

Soruses are believed to have coexisted with a variety of other large mammals, such as wolves, bears, and hyenas, suggesting that they had a similar environmental niche in the past. Fossil remains suggest that soruses, while sharing physical similarities with hares, possessed a distinct set of characteristics which clearly set them apart from modern and extinct species alike.

Research suggests that the extinction of soruses is likely linked to human hunting and climatic changes. As human populations expanded and modified their environments, it is possible that the reduction in sorus populations accelerated its extinction from the region.

The large size of the fossils discovered led some researchers to believe that soruses could be ancestors to the large beavers or even an extinct biological species. However, most researchers credit it more to their hypothetical large niche and genetic exchange appearing with some biological and close to sebeitors.

No soruses offspring or biological descendants have been documented.