Evolution and Classification of the Pocket Gophers of the Subfamily GeomyinaeRussell, Robert J.
Science
Evolution and Classification of the Pocket Gophers of the Subfamily Geomyinae
Russell, Robert J.
Pocket gophers
Brown (1908:194) described _Geomys parvidens_ from the Conard Fissure,
in northern Arkansas. Hibbard (1958:25) concluded that the Conard
Fissure fauna represents a glacial stage, probably the Illinoian, and
Hibbard _et al._ (1965:510-511) regarded the fauna as a composite
including both Irvingtonian and Rancholabrean elements. White and
Downs (1961:21) considered _G. parvidens_ to be a subspecies of
_Geomys bursarius_.
The first Pleistocene occurrence of _Geomys_ in the southeastern
United States is from the Reddick I deposits reported by Gut and Ray
(1963:325), who found the remains of _Geomys pinetis_ among the
fossils comprising the "rodent beds" of Marion County, Florida. Gut
and Ray tentatively identified the beds as Illinoian, but Kurten
(1965:219) regarded the Reddick I fauna as early Sangamon. Simpson
(1928:2) reported _Geomys floridanus_ [= _pinetis_] from Saber-tooth
Cave deposits of Citrus County, Florida. The Saber-tooth Cave (or
Lecanto Cave) local fauna is considered by Kurten (_op. cit._:219)
also to be a Sangamon deposit. _Geomys floridanus_ [= _pinetis_] was
reported from the Seminole Field deposits by Simpson (1929:563); both
Simpson and Kurten (_op. cit._:221) agreed that the Seminole Field
fauna is mainly late Wisconsin, although sub-Recent fossils occur at
the tops of the beds. Ray (1958:430) collected remains of _Geomys
pinetis_ from the Melbourne Bone Bed of Brevard County, Florida. The
Melbourne local fauna is considered to be from Wisconsin deposits by
Kurten (_op. cit._:220). The eastern species of _Geomys_ were probably
derived from Great Plains stock that reached the southeastern Coastal
Plains in early Rancholabrean (Illinoian) time. Presently there is no
contact between the eastern and western populations of the genus, and
it is assumed that disjunction occurred as a result of Wisconsin
glaciation. It is interesting to note that the genus _Thomomys_
occurred in this region at approximately the same time; both genera
occur in Saber-tooth Cave deposits.
_Pappogeomys_
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