Eolagurus Argyropulo 1946

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Cricetidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 955-1189 : 976

Eolagurus Argyropulo 1946

Eolagurus Argyropulo 1946 , Vestn. Akad. Nauk Kazakh. SSR, 8-Jul: 44.

Type Species: Georychus luteus Eversmann 1840

Species and subspecies: 2 species:

Species Eolagurus luteus (Eversmann 1840)

Species Eolagurus przewalskii (Büchner 1889)

Discussion: Lagurini (see account of Lagurus ). Also placed variously in subtribe Lagurina, Prometheomyini ( Pavlinov and Rossolimo, 1998; Pavlinov et al., 1995 a), or in Arvicolini ( McKenna and Bell, 1997). Corbet (1978 c) viewed Eolagurus as part of Lagurus , but subsequent authorities have considered them separate genera ( Corbet and Hill, 1991; Gromov and Erbajeva, 1995; Gromov and Polyakov, 1977; Pavlinov and Rossolimo, 1987, 1998; Pavlinov et al., 1995 a; Zagorodnyuk, 1990). Descent of Eolagurus from the early Pleistocene, its inferred derivation from a rooted Pliocene ancestor, and elaboration of the enamel schmelzmuster summarized by Koenigswald and Tesakov (1997).

Taxonomic confusion surrounding origin and application of the generic name discussed by Pavlinov and Rossolimo (1987). Pavlinov (2002, in litt.) explained that Argyropulo (1946) based the genus on luteus and przewalskii but did not explicitly designate a type species; justification for regarding luteus as the type species is Argyropulo’s passing comment that przewalskii might be a geographical race of luteus , suggesting its fixation by original monotypy. Pavlinov and Rossolimo (1987) pointed out that the first unambiguous validation of Eolagurus may originate from Corbet’s (1978 c:116) statement that it was intended as a subgenus for luteus .