Subspeciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii: KU. Vol 1 No 23 — John Shaqi
Subspeciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii: KU. Vol 1 No 23Setzer, Henry W.
Science
Subspeciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii: KU. Vol 1 No 23
Setzer, Henry W.
Kangaroo rats
PANAMINTINUS GROUP.--Composed of all the now known subspecies of
_Dipodomys panamintinus_ and the species _Dipodomys stephensi_, if
the latter is a full species. This group was included by Grinnell
in the Heermanni group, with which it agrees in broadness of the
maxillary arches and the configuration of the penis bone, but on
the basis of the degree of specialization, as indicated by the
indices (see Table 1), I feel that the Panamintinus group is more
properly placed after the Ordii group and should be separated from
the Heermanni group. Actually, animals in the Panamintinus group
are intermediate between those of the Ordii and Heermanni groups.
HEERMANNI GROUP.--Composed of the subspecies of _Dipodomys
heermanni_ and _Dipodomys agilis_, the species _Dipodomys ingens_,
_Dipodomys venustus_ and _Dipodomys elephantinus_. _D._ _ingens_
even though larger in linear measurements than any of the other
kinds included in this group, has almost the same degree of
specialization as does _D. heermanni_. _D. agilis_, even though
somewhat less specialized than the other kinds placed in this
group, by the general nature of the indices, by the form of the
visceral mass and to some degree by the shape of the baculum, shows
itself properly to belong with this group. The species _D.
venustus_, judged by characters of the visceral anatomy, also
belongs here rather than with some other group or as a separate
group. From the appearance of the visceral mass, _D. venustus_ is
somewhat more specialized than either _D. heermanni_ or _D.
agilis_, but _D. venustus_ does show its affinities with this
group. The species _D. elephantinus_ has not been examined as
thoroughly as have the other species but the external morphology
and the configuration of the cranium place it with this group.
SPECTABILIS GROUP.--Composed of the subspecies of _Dipodomys
spectabilis_. In two of the six indices, _D. spectabilis_ shows a
high degree of specialization toward saltation, but in the other
four indices it shows a relatively low degree of specialization or
is average for the genus. Burt (1936:155) placed _D. spectabilis_
with _D. deserti_ on the basis of the baculum alone. I have not
examined _D. nelsoni_ but place it with this group as did also
Grinnell and Davis.
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