Blanfordimys Argyropulo, 1933 . Z. Säugetierk., 8:182.

TYPE SPECIES: Microtus bucharicus Vinogradov, 1930 .

COMMENTS: Originally proposed as a subgenus of Microtus, a ranking traditionally acknowledged by Russian authors (Golenishchev and Sablina, 1991; Gromov and Polyakov, 1977; Ognev, 1964; Pavlinov and Rossolimo, 1987). In other taxonomic variations, Corbet (1978c) assigned afghanus, the type-species of Blanfordimys, to the genus Pitymys, and Chaline (1974) placed it in Neodon, subgenus Microtus . Ellerman (1941) considered the diagnostic traits of afghanus so impressive that he recognized the genus, as did Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (1951) and recently Zagorodnyuk (1990). We concur. Blanfordimys is defined by derived features that set it apart from other voles. Furthermore, the significance of these features has never been adequately assessed in the context of a careful phylogenetic study involving the many subgenera now included in Microtus and other genera considered to be closely related to it. Isolating Blanfordimys from Microtus defines an explicit hypothesis of relationships that should be critically tested with morphological, chromosomal, and biochemical data.