Aztlanolagus

Taxobox
name = Aztlanolagus agilis
fossil_range = Pliocene-Pleistocene


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Lagomorpha
familia = Leporidae
genus = "Aztlanolagus"
species = "A. agilis"
binomial = "Aztlanolagus agilis"
binomial_authority = Russell & Harris, 1986

"Aztlanolagus agilis" (Aztlán Rabbit) is the sole member of the genus Aztlanolagus. Differences among recovered fossils suggest that there were other species, however. The name of the genus refers to Aztlán, the legendary place of origin of the Nahua peoples as recorded in the mythological accounts of the Aztecs and other Nahua groups. By some traditions, this legendary locale is placed in the border regions of the Southwestern United States and adjacent northern Mexico.

It is known only from the Pliocene and Pleistocene (Blancan to Rancholabrean North American land mammal ages). The known distribution is from southeastern Arizona to central Texas and from central Colorado to southern Chihuahua.

"Aztlanolagus" may be distinguished from all other known lepords as follows. Lower incisor terminates under diastema and well anterior to P₃. Three reentrant folds present on trigonid of P₃: an anterior reentrant fold, an anterointernal reentrant fold (rarely cut off to form an enamel lake), and an anteroexternal fold. At all growth stages, a posteroexternal reentrant fold extends approximately halfway across occlusal surface of P₃ to a narrow enamel lake lying next to lingual border; enamel lake rarely joined to external reentrant to form the "Lepus"-type pattern (Hibbard, 1963). On P₄ to M₂, external fold extends to enamel of lingual wall. Anterior border of talonid on P₄-M₂ deeply convoluted, often with alternating series of major and minor enamel loops.... (Russell and Harris 1986:632-633)

References

*Russell, B. D., and A. H. Harris. 1986. A new leporine (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) from Wisconsinan deposits of the Chihuahuan Desert. Journal of Mammalogy 67:632-639.
*Winkler, A. J., and Y. Tomida. 1988. New records of the small leporid "Aztlanolagus agilis" Russell and Harris, Leporidae: Leporinae. Southwestern Naturalist 33:391-396.