[1] As traditionally defined the genus was very species-rich, ranging through Europe, Asia and North America, but this arrangement was found to be paraphyletic to the certainly distinct prairie dogs, marmots, and antelope squirrels.

σπέρμα sperma, genitive σπέρματος spermatos – seed; φίλος philos – friend, lover).

[4] As typical ground squirrels, Spermophilus live in open habitats like grasslands, meadows, steppe and semideserts, feed on the low plants, and use burrows as nests and refuge.

This resulted in the splitting of Spermophilus into eight genera, which with the prairie dogs, marmots, and antelope squirrels are each given as numbered clades.

Among these, the exclusively Palearctic species are retained as the genus Spermophilus sensu stricto (in the strictest sense).

[9] Discovery and examination of one of the best preserved Eurasian ground squirrel fossils yet recovered allowed the study of many previously unknown aspects of ground squirrel cranial anatomy, and prompted a critical reassessment of their phylogenetic position.

[12] Spermophilus superciliosus is known from the Middle Pleistocene to reportedly the early 20th century, with a vast range across much of Europe, from southern England to the Volga and the Ural Mountains.