Dipodillus (Petteromys) campestris (Loche 1867)

[Gerbillus] campestris Loche 1867, Expl. Sci. Alg. Zool. Mamm.: 106.

Type Locality: Algeria, Constantine Province, Philipeville.

Vernacular Names: North African Dipodil.

Synonyms: Dipodillus (Petteromys) brunnescens (Ranck 1968); Dipodillus (Petteromys) cinnamomeus Cabrera 1922; Dipodillus (Petteromys) dodsoni Thomas 1913; Dipodillus (Petteromys) gerbii (Loche 1867); Dipodillus (Petteromys) haymani (Setzer 1958); Dipodillus (Petteromys) hilda (Thomas 1918); Dipodillus (Petteromys) minutus (Loche 1867); Dipodillus (Petteromys) patrizii de Beaux 1932; Dipodillus (Petteromys) quadrimaculatus (Lataste 1882); Dipodillus (Petteromys) riparius Cabrera 1922; Dipodillus (Petteromys) rozsikae Thomas 1908; Dipodillus (Petteromys) somalicus Thomas 1910; Dipodillus (Petteromys) venustus (Sundevall 1843); Dipodillus (Petteromys) wassifi Setzer 1958 .

Distribution: N Africa, from Morocco to Egypt and Sudan.

Conservation: IUCN – Critically Endangered as Gerbillus quadrimaculatus, Lower Risk (lc) as G. campestris .

Discussion: Subgenus Petteromys . Nineteen species-group names have been associated with D. campestris by different authors in various combinations, as summarized by Lay (1983), who also noted that most opinions lacked supportive evidence and that some of the synonyms are unidentifiable or nomina nuda. Lay (1983) remarked that although most authors followed Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (1951) in listing quadrimaculatus equivocally under G. nanus, it should be kept separate until a revision is available. Pavlinov et al. (1990) synonymized it with Dipodillus campestris and we follow their allocation. Musser and Carleton (1993) had allocated hilda to G. nanus, but it belongs here (Aulagnier, in litt.). Those names listed here are probably correctly associated with D. campestris, but the species requires refined definition through careful systematic revision. Different geographical populations were reviewed by Aulagnier and Thevenot (1986, Morocco) Kowalski and Rzebik-Kowalska (1991, Algeria), Ranck (1968, Libya), and Osborn and Helmy (1980, Egypt). Benazzou and Zyadi (1990) conducted a biometric study analyzing variation among Moroccan populations. Dobigny et al. (2001 a, b) documented chromosomal traits (2n = 56, FNa = 68) from Adrar des Iforas in NE Mali, which are similar to karyotypes reported from the Maghreb and S Niger (Dobigny et al., 2002 b), and from Tunisia (Chetoui et al., 2002). Significance of APRT gene sequences in illuminating substitution rate variation among D. campestris and other muroids presented by Fieldhouse et al. (1997). Cockrum and Setzer (1976:643) clarified the author and date of publication of campestris (also see Kowalski and Rzebik-Kowalska, 1991). Reviewed by Pavlinov et al. (1990). Fragments identified as D. campestris are reported from probable middle Pleistocene sites in Morocco (Amani and Geraads, 1993; Geraads, 1994), and D. bibersoni was described (as Gerbillus) from late Pliocene fossils in Moroccan strata and is considered closely related to D. campestris (Geraads, 1995) .