| Mustela stromeri | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Mustela |
| Species: | †M. stromeri |
| Binomial name | |
| †Mustela stromeri (Kormos, 1934) | |
| Synonyms | |
Putorius stromeriKormos, 1934 | |
Mustela stromeri is an extinct medium-sized species of mustelid and was the earliest known true species of polecat. It is ancestral to all modern ferrets and polecats. [1]
Mustela stromeri, along with a number of other mustelid species, was first described by Hungarian geologist Tivadar Kormos in 1934, in the large village of Beremend. [2] Its smaller size suggests that the subgenus Putorius (ferrets and polecats) evolved at a more recent date, presumably during the Villafranchian. [3]
Mustela stromeri is ancestral to modern ferrets and polecats. The steppe polecat and European polecat evolved from Mustela stromeri in the Middle Pleistocene, whereas the black-footed ferret probably evolved from the former around 0.5 to 2 million years ago. [4]
Mustela stromeri was a mustelid believed have lived in vast territories of central Eurasia until its extinction during the Middle Pleistocene. [5] Often, Mustela stromeri was found in Eastern Europe. [6] Its remains have been unearthed in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania, [7] and date from the Villafranchian to the Günz II stadial.
As Mustela stromeri has been only described by fragmentary remains, its appearance and behaviours are not well-known. It was smaller in size in comparison to modern ferrets and polecats, though medium-sized for mustelids overall. [7] Mustela stromeri's behaviour is disputed, as both kinds of polecats in Europe have contrasting habits. [3]