Subspeciation in Pocket Gophers of Kansas, [KU. Vol. 1 No. 11]Hall, E. Raymond (Eugene Raymond)
Science
Subspeciation in Pocket Gophers of Kansas, [KU. Vol. 1 No. 11]
Hall, E. Raymond (Eugene Raymond)
Mammals -- Kansas; Pocket gophers
Specimens to the total number of 335 from Kansas have been available
for the present study of the five subspecies recognized. The reason for
arranging all of the named kinds as subspecies of a single species is
that intergradation has been found to occur between every pair of kinds
having contiguous geographic ranges. The characters previously thought
by some writers constantly to differentiate, say, _Geomys lutescens_ of
western Kansas from _Geomys bursarius_ of eastern Kansas, prove not to
do so; instead, in areas geographically intermediate between the
geographic ranges of the two kinds, the pocket gophers are intermediate
in morphological characters and therefore are regarded as intergrades.
Intergradation of this kind here is accepted as the criterion of
subspecies, and lack of such intergradation as the criterion of species.
Search for structural characters, distinctive of the different kinds,
additional to those characters noted by other writers, has resulted in
the finding of a few such characters but they too are subject to
intergradation. Therefore the several kinds are arranged as subspecies
of a single species which takes the name _Geomys bursarius_ because it
is the oldest available name. Detailed comment on specimens showing
intergradation are to be found in the accounts of _G. b. bursarius_ and
_G. b. major_.
METHODS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The series with the largest number of individuals from one restricted
locality was selected for initial study. These individuals were
segregated by sex, and specimens of each sex were arranged from oldest
to youngest. Each series was divided into age-groups, and within a given
age-group of one sex from one locality of what was considered as one
species, estimation was made of the amount of individual variation.
Thus, it was possible when comparing different kinds of pocket gophers
to use only one age class of one season of one sex.
Age was estimated to some extent by size of animal and nature of its
pelage. The immature pelage is grayer and the hair is more crinkled than
in adults. A more certain guide to age, however, is furnished by the
skull. With increasing age some sutures disappear, the rostrum increases
in length and the ridges marking the limits of the temporal muscles come
to fuse and eventually, in males, form a high sagittal crest.
Cranial measurements were taken as follows:
Basilar length.--From the anteriormost inferior border of the
foramen magnum to a line connecting the posteriormost margins
of the alveoli of the first upper incisors.
Length of the nasals.--The greatest length of the nasals.
Zygomatic breadth.--The greatest distance across the zygomatic
arches.
Mastoid breadth.--The greatest distance across the mastoids.
Breadth of rostrum.--Width, perpendicular to long axis of the
skull.
Interorbital constriction.--The least distance between the
orbits.
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