Palaeomephitis

Palaeomephitis Temporal range: Middle Miocene ca. 12 Ma

Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Mephitidae
Genus:	Palaeomephitis Jäger, 1839
Species:	P. steinheimensis
Binomial name
*Palaeomephitis steinheimensis* Jäger, 1839
Synonyms
Trochotherium cyamoides Fraas, 1870

Palaeomephitis steinheimensis is an extinct species of musteloid, possibly a mephitid (skunk), from the Miocene epoch of Europe.

Description

Palaeomephitis steinheimensis was described by Jäger in 1839 from a well-preserved cranium found in Steinheim am Albuch in Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany. Subsequently, different authors considered it to represent a viverrid or a leptarctine mustelid. It was placed in the Mephitinae (now considered to be a distinct family) by Wolsan in 1999, on the evidence of its having an extended epitympanic recess to the middle ear.^[1] However, Geraads and Spassov (2016) were uncertain it in fact had this expanded recess, since that area of the skull is imperfectly preserved. Due to this and other factors, such as it differing from Mephitidae in some characters, these authors considered the mephitid affinities of Palaeomephitis doubtful.^[2]

Taxonomy

Skunks

† Palaeomephitis

	† Promephitis

	Stink badgers (Mydaus)

other Mephitidae

In its traditional skunk classification, Palaeomephitis is considered to stand close to the two extant species of stink badger (Mydaus) and the several extinct species of Promephitis. This clade is considered to be a sister group to all other skunks living today and other fossil forms.^[3]

References

^ Mieczysław Wolsan (1999). "Oldest mephitine cranium and its implications for the origin of skunks" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 44 (2): 223–230.
^ Geraads, Denis; Spassov, Nikolaï (30 December 2016). "Musteloid carnivores from the upper Miocene of South-Western Bulgaria, and the phylogeny of the Mephitidae". Geodiversitas. 38 (4): 543–558. doi:10.5252/g2016n4a5. ISSN 1280-9659.
^ Mikko Haaramo (7 October 2007). "Mustelidae: Mephitinae". Mikko’s Phylogeny Archive. Archived from the original on 2017-01-14. Retrieved 12 November 2017.

Genera of red pandas, raccoons, skunks, mustelids and their extinct allies

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora

Musteloidea

†Peignictis
†Plesiogale

Ailuridae

Ailurinae	Ailurus †Magerictis †Parailurus †Pristinailurus
†Amphictinae	Amphictis
†Simocyoninae	Actiocyon Alopecocyon Protursus Simocyon

Mephitidae

Procyonidae

†Amphinasua
†Angustictis
†Arctonasua
Bassaricyon
Bassariscus
†Bassaricynoides
†Chapalmalania
†Cyonasua
†Edaphocyon
Nasua
Nasuella
†Parahyaenodon
†Paranasua
†Parapotos
†Probassariscus
Procyon
†Protoprocyon
Potos
†Tetraprothomo

Mustelidae

†Acheronictis †Aragonictis †Arikarictis †Circamustela †Erokomellivora †Franconictis †Kenyalutra †Kinometaxia †Laphyctis †Luogale †Marcetia †Matanomictis †Melidellavus †Mellalictis †Mesomephitis †Miomustela †Namibictis †Oaxacagale †Palaeomeles †Paragale †Parataxidea †Perunium †Plesictis †Plesiogale †Plesiomeles †Prepoecilogale †Presictis †Promellivora †Proputorius †Pyctis †Sabadellictis †Semantor †Sinictis †Sivalictis †Skopelogale †Sonitictis †Taxodon †Trochotherium †Xenictis †Zorilla
Guloninae	†Canimartes Eira †Ferinestrix Gulo †Iberictis †Ischyrictis Martes Pekania †Plesiogulo †Plionictis †Sthenictis
Helictidinae	Melogale
Ictonychinae	†Brevimalictis †Cernictis †Eirictis †Enhydrictis Galictis Ictonyx †Lutravus Lyncodon †Martellictis †Negodiaetictis †Oriensictis †Pannonictis †Poecilictis Poecilogale †Sminthosinis †Stipanicicia †Trigonictis †Trochictis Vormela
Lutrinae	†Algarolutra Aonyx †Cyrnaonyx †Cyrnolutra †Djourabus Enhydra †Enhydriodon †Enhydritherium Hydrictis †Limnonyx Lontra Lutra †Lutraeximia †Lutrictis Lutrogale †Megalenhydris †Megencephalon †Melodon †Mionictis †Nesolutra †Paludolutra †Paralutra †Pelycictis Pteronura †Sardolutra †Satherium †Siamogale †Sivaonyx †Teruelictis †Torolutra †Tyrrhenolutra †Vishnuonyx
†Leptarctinae	Craterogale Leptarctus Trocharion
Melinae	†Arctomeles Arctonyx Meles †Promeles
Mellivorinae	†Ekorus †Eomellivora †Hoplictis Mellivora †Moralesictis
†Mustelavinae	Mustelavus
Mustelinae	†Baranogale †Dinogale †Lartetictis †Legionarictis Mustela Neogale †Putorius †Tisisthenes
†Oligobuninae	Brachypsalis Corumictis Floridictis Megalictis Oligobunis Parabrachypsalis Paroligobunis Promartes Zodiolestes
Taxidiinae	†Chamitataxus †Pliotaxidea Taxidea

This page was last edited on 9 June 2024, at 05:11

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Description

Taxonomy

References