We analyzed a concatenated (8492 bp) nuclear-mitochondrial DNA data set from 44 musteloids The early offshoots of this radiation largely evolved into badger and marten ecological niches (Taxidiinae, Melinae, Mellivorinae, Guloninae, and Helictidinae), whereas the later divergences have adapted to other niches including those of weasels, polecats, minks, and otters (Mustelinae, Ictonychinae, and Lutrinae). Notably, and contrary to traditional beliefs, the morphological adaptations of badgers, martens, weasels, polecats, and minks each evolved independently more than once within Mustelidae. Ictonychinae (which is most closely related to Lutrinae) arose approximately 9.5-8.9 MYA, most likely in Asia, where it diverged into the Old World and Poecilogale, respectively, we propose that Pekania and Poecilictis be treated as valid genera and that -Martes‖ pennanti and -Ictonyx‖ libyca, respectively, be assigned to these genera.

A phylogenetic analysis of the Oligocene and some Neogene European arctoid carnivorans of the order-group taxon M ustelida is performed, based on characters of the skull and dentition. The following classification of the revised genera is proposed: Sim ocyon (Ailurus, Am phictis, Bavarictis, Potamotherium (Pseudobassaris (Angustictis gen. n., Broiliana)) (M ustelictis ({Franconictis gen. n., Stromerielta) (Bathygale gen. n. (Plesictis (Paragale, Plesiogale)))))). Potamotherium is allied to phocids within the monophyletic Pinnipedia. Pseudobassaris, Angustictis gen. n., and Broiliana are con sidered procyonids. M ustelictis, Franconictis gen. n., Stromeriella, Bathygale gen. n., Plesictis, and the mustelines Paragale and Plesiogale are placed in the Mustelidae. Parailurus is included in Ailurus, and Ichneugale (= Viretius, = Alopecocyon) is synonymized with Am phictis. Phylogenetic definitions and diagnoses are provided for the suprageneric taxa: Carnivora, Caniformia, Arctoidea, Arctom orpha (new), M ustelida, Pinnipedia, Procyonidae, M ustelidae, and M ustelinae. and southern Germany, constituting a favoured field of research for many o f our scientific predecessors, have yielded abundant material o f primitive mustelidans. Studies o f the European Mustelida have been carried out for more than 150 years, resulting in an impressive accumulation of bibliographic references. At present, however, it is often difficult to avoid misunderstanding when employing vague diagnoses o f mustelidan taxa created during the epoch o f the pioneers. Cladistics is now generally accepted as the philosophy and methodology o f choice in phylo genetic inference and taxonomy. It is thus no longer possible to follow phylogenetic reconstructions and classifications proposed in the past as using overall similarity instead o f special similarity, paraphyletic as opposed to monophyletic taxa, and taxonomic congruence rather than character congruence. M am m alThe first cladogram o f the Carnivora, involving the major groups o f mustelidans, was proposed by Tedford (1976). Although his hypothesis had been put forward in conflict with the premises o f cladistic methodology (W iig 1983), it was accepted at that time and played an im portant part, stimulating many systematists to further efforts to reconstruct the phylogeny o f carnivorans, particularly pinnipeds, Schmidt-Kittler (1981) presented a second attempt at distinguishing the major clades of mustelidan carnivorans. Through an analysis of primitive and derived fea tures o f the basicranium and dentition, he proposed a testable hypothesis o f the phylogenetic relationships for non-marine mustelidans. His comparative analysis o f the auditory region in many fossil and extant arctoids documented the phylogenetic significance o f morphological transformations in this part o f the cranium. Schmidt--Kittler's phylogeny o f the Mustelida, based primarily on his pioneering interpreta tion o f the transformation o f the suprameatal fossa, represents an important step in the advancement o f our ...

Phylogenetic relationships among 20 species-group taxa of Mustelidae, representing Mustelinae (Mustela, Martes, Gulo), Lutrinae (Enhydra), and Melinae (Meles), were examined using nucleotide sequences of the nuclear interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP) and mitochondrial cytochrome b genes. Neighbor-joining and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic analyses on these genes separately and combined were conducted. While IRBP performed better than cytochrome b in recovering more-inclusive clades, cytochrome b demonstrated more resolving power in recovering less-inclusive clades. Strong support was found for a close affinity of Enhydra with Mustela to the exclusion of Martes and Gulo (causing Mustelinae to be paraphyletic); the most-basal position of Mustela vison within Mustela, followed by Mustela erminea; an association of Mustela lutreola, Mustela itatsi, Mustela sibirica, and the subgenus Putorius (including Mustela putorius and Mustela eversmanii), to the exclusion of Mustela nivalis and Mustela altaica; and a basal position of Mustela itatsi to a clade containing Mustela sibirica and Putorius. Whereas cytochrome b strongly supported Mustela lutreola as the sister species to Putorius, IRBP strongly supported its basal placement to the Mustela itatsi-Mustela sibirica-Putorius clade. The low level of sequence divergence in cytochrome b between Mustela lutreola and Putorius is therefore a result of interspecific mitochondrial introgression between these taxa, rather than a recent origin of Mustela lutreola in a close relationship to Putorius. Time estimates inferred from IRBP and cytochrome b for mustelid divergence events are mostly in agreement with the fossil record.