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
Anterior face of upper incisor usually smooth, sometimes bearing faint
groove in center or near medial margin of tooth, at least in
_Gregorymys_; cheek teeth hypsodont, medium to high crowned, and
rooted in all but _Entoptychus_ (has rootless, ever-growing teeth);
cheek teeth identical in form, premolars resembling molars and lower
cheek teeth mirror images of upper teeth; crowns biprismatic, having
two columns joined at edge of protomeres (for description of term, see
discussion of primitive morphotype on page 537) and with persistent
lateral fissure between them; lateral re-entrant fold deep,
penetrating at least half width of crown, from external side in upper
teeth and internal side in lower teeth (in specialized genus
_Entoptychus_ lophs, upon additional wear, join also at edge of
parameres, thus uniting columns at both ends and thereby enclosing
interior part of lateral fissure as a transverse fossette in center of
tooth); enamel investment of prisms usually complete, including
inflection bordering re-entrant folds, occlusal pattern becoming
interrupted with wear only in _Entoptychus_, where enamel disappears
first from sides of crowns (following union of anterior and posterior
columns at both sides) and later, in final stages of attrition, from
anterior wall of lower molars and posterior wall of upper molars.
Maxillary bone without pronounced vertical depth in part supporting
cheek teeth, its inferior border only slightly lower than inferior
border of premaxillary and alveolar lips of molariform teeth
consequently approximately level with, or slightly below, alveolar lip
of upper incisor; squamosal without lateral expansion, therefore,
meatal tube of auditory bulla separated from zygomatic process of
squamosal by deep, well-developed postglenoid notch; angular part of
mandible below alveolar level of mandibular cheek teeth; angular
process only slightly reflected laterally; coronoid process low, tip
only slightly above condyle.
For information concerning the structure and relationships of the
known genera, and for accounts of species, see Wood (1936). A list
of the named genera in order of specialization is as follows:
*_Pleurolicus_ Cope, 1878. Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 18:66.
*_Gregorymys_ Wood, 1936. Amer. Mus. Novit., 866:9.
*_Grangerimus_ Wood, 1936. Amer. Mus. Novit., 866:13.
*_Entoptychus_ Cope, 1878. Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 18:64.
Five new species have been described since Wood's (1936) revision.
They are: _Pleurolicus clasoni_ MacDonald (1963:180); _Gregorymys
kayi_ Wood (1950:335); _Gregorymys montanensis_ Hibbard and Keenmon
(1950:198); _Grangerimus dakotensis_ MacDonald (1963:182);
_Grangerimus sellardsi_ Hibbard and Wilson (1950:623).
Subfamily GEOMYINAE Baird, 1858
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