ON THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF PROSCIURUS LOHICULUS

The species Prosciurus lohiculus was erected by Matthew & Granger (1923), based on an upper jaw from Hsanda Gol Formation (Middle Oligocene), Mongolia. Later, Argyropulo (1939) described a lower jaw from the upper Oligocene of Kazakhstan, USSR, which was identified as Prosciurus sp. (lohiculus). Stehlin & Schaub (1951, p. 278) thought that the Kazakhstan lower jaw described by Argyropulo should belong to Plesispermophilus, leaving the holotype of P. lohiculus from Hsanda Gol Formation still in Prosciurus. Wood (1962, p. 236) transferred P. lohiculus into Plesispermophilus on the assumption that the Kazakhstan lower jaw belongs to the same form as the holotype from Hsanda Gol. Wood's opinion was followed by Mellett (1968, p. 6) and Shevyreva (1976, p. 22). Meanwhile, Kowalski (1974, p. 153) described several lower jaws, new material from the type locality, and believed they belongs to Prosciurus lohiculus and came to the conclusion that the Kazakhstan lower jaw was morphologically quite different from those he found in Tatal Gol, and hence could not belong to the species in question. Schmidt-Kittler and Vianey-Liaud (1979; p. 73) agreed with Kowalski and gave further evidence that the upper teeth of true Plesispermophilus was also different from those of P. lohiculus and that the lower jaw from Kazakhstan might well be of Plesispermophilus. Irrespective of these disagreements, all the authors consented to include P. lohiculus in Prosciurinae (Aplodontidae).