Class Mammalia
Order Rodentia
Family Geomyidae
Geomys sp.—Eastern Pocket Gophers // Geomys (Nerterogeomys) sp.—Nerterogeomys Pocket Gophers // Geomys (Nerterogeomys) minor—Small Pocket Gopher // Geomys (Nerterogeomys) paenebursarius—Early Plains Gopher // Geomys arenarius/bursarius—Desert or Plains Pocket Gopher // Geomys bursarius—Plains Pocket Gophers // Geomys persimilis—Hay's Pocket Gopher
Several characters often preserved in the fossil record identify the genus Geomys (see the Geomyidae account). Discrimination of species, however, is problematical. Our region has representatives of three living species: Geomys arenarius, G. bursarius, and G. knoxjonesi. The latter is recognized primarily on the basis of genetical data and occurs in southeastern New Mexico and adjacent Texas; the first two have only minor morphological differences seldom observable in fossils. Geomys arenarius occurs in the southern Rio Grande Valley and environs in New Mexico; G. bursarius mostly to the northeast. The accounts follow the identifications given in the publications except the Navar Ranch and Tank Trap Wash records; at the time these were published, G. arenarius was included in G. bursarius. Likely all listed under G. arenarius/bursarius are G. arenarius, but they are not identifiable on the material available.
Sites.
Mid/Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Sierra Diablo Cave (UTEP).
Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Conkling Cavern (Harris 1993c); Pendejo Cave (Harris 2003).
Literature. Harris 1993c, 2003.
Hibbard (1967:119) noted that "The genus Nerterogeomys Gazin (1942) is considered to be of subgeneric rank for those species of Geomys that have the mental foramen ventral to the extremity of the masseteric crest."
Sites.
Late Blancan: La Union (Morgan and Lucas 2003).
Literature. Hibbard 1967; Morgan and Lucas 2003.
Specimens of Geomys usually do not have morphological features preserved that would allow determination of species. On the basis of geography, the records listed here probably are of G. arenarius.
Sites.
Mid Wisconsin: Pendejo Cave (Harris 2003).
Late Wisconsin: Navar Ranch (Van Devender et al. 1987: as G. bursarius); Tank Trap Wash (Van Devender et al. 1987: as G. bursarius).
Literature. Harris 2003; Van Devender et al. 1987.
Sites.
Records given here as assumed to be G. bursarius since they are outside of the current distribution of G. arenarius. However, Jal is within the current range of G. knoxjonesi.
Pleistocene: Perico Creek (Morgan and Lucas 2005).
Rancholabrean: Jal (Morgan and Lucas 2005).
Late Wisconsin: Blackwater Loc. No. 1 (Slaughter 1975: cf.); Tramperos Creek (Morgan and Lucas 2005).
Literature. Morgan and Lucas 2005; Slaughter 1975.
Sites.
Late Blancan: California Wash (Johnson et al. 1975).
Literature. Johnson et al. 1975.
This pocket gopher is similar to the living Geomys bursarius, differing primarily in the position of the mental foramen (Strain 1966).
Sites.
Late Blancan: Caballo (Morgan et al. 2011: ?).
Literature: Morgan et al. 2011; Strain 1966.
Sites.
Late Blancan: 111 Ranch (Morgan and White 2005: ?); California Wash (Morgan and White 2005); Curtis Ranch (Morgan and White 2005); San Simon Fauna (Morgan and White 2005: ?).
Literature. Morgan and White 2005
Last Update: 7 Feb 2013