| Promephitis | |
|---|---|
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| Promephitis sp. skull from Batallones 3 (Spain) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mephitidae |
| Genus: | Promephitis Gaudry, 1861 |
Promephitis is an extinct genus of mephitid, of which several species have been described from the Miocene and early Pliocene of Europe and Asia.
The fossil remains of the Promephitis species, like all members of the skunk family (Mephitidae), have a significant extension of epitympanic recess, a chamber of the middle ear, into the region of mastoid and squamous parts of the temporal bones. This extension is recognizable as an inflated bulge on the lateral wall of the skull over the mastoid. [1] In addition, skunks have specific characteristics of the teeth, especially the molars, which distinguish them from other carnivora. The genus Promephitis also shows a distinctive structure of the premolar tooth P4 as well as a very small P2, through which they are distinguishable from other genera. [2]
Species of Promephitis ranged widely in Eurasia, and fossils have been found both in Europe and in Asia. They are classified in the late Tertiary, occurring in the middle to late Miocene and early Pliocene epochs less than 10 million years ago. [2]
The genus and the type species Promephitis larteti were described in 1861 by Jean Albert Gaudry from a fossil found at Pikermi in Greece. Since the initial description up to 10 species have been named, but some have since been discarded. Early finds consisted mainly of teeth or fragments of jaw bones. In 2004 Wang & Qiu reported numerous well-preserved skull and skeleton finds from China and described two new species. Currently the following eleven species are recognised: [2]
| Skunks |
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Within the skunks, the species of the genus Promephitis have been likened to the two extant species of stink badger (Mydaus) from Southeast Asia. [3] Taken together, Promephitis and the stink badgers are probably the sister group of the fossil species Palaeomephitis steinheimensis , [3] the name applied to the oldest known species of skunks. [1] Within the recent genera, the stink badgers represent the earliest genus; the clade comprising them with Promephitis and Palaeomephitis is considered to be a sister group to all other skunks living today and other fossil forms. [3]
Mephitidae is a family of mammals comprising the skunks and stink badgers. They are noted for the great development of their anal scent glands, which they use to deter predators. Skunks were formerly classified as a subfamily of the Mustelidae ; however, recent genetic evidence has caused skunks to be treated as a separate family. Similarly, the stink badgers had been classified with badgers, but genetic evidence shows they share a more recent common ancestor with skunks, so they are now included in the skunk family. A 2017 study using retroposon markers indicated that they are most closely related to the Ailuridae and Procyonidae.
Caniformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "dog-like" carnivorans. They include dogs, bears, raccoons, and mustelids. The Pinnipedia are also assigned to this group. The center of diversification for the Caniformia is North America and northern Eurasia. Caniformia stands in contrast to the other suborder of Carnivora, the Feliformia, the center of diversification of which was in Africa and southern Asia.
Megantereon was a genus of prehistoric machairodontine saber-toothed cat that lived in North America, Eurasia, and Africa. It may have been the ancestor of Smilodon.
Chasmaporthetes, also known as hunting or running hyena, is an extinct genus of hyenas distributed in Eurasia, North America, and Africa during the Pliocene-Pleistocene epochs, living from 4.9 million to 780,000 years ago, existing for about 4.12 million years. The genus probably arose from Eurasian Miocene hyenas such as Thalassictis or Lycyaena, with C. borissiaki being the oldest known representative. The species C. ossifragus was the only hyena to cross the Bering land bridge into the Americas, and ranged over what is now Arizona and Mexico during Blancan and early Irvingtonian Land Mammal ages, between 5.0 and 1.5 million years ago.
Borophagus is an extinct genus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the Middle Miocene epoch through the Early Pleistocene epoch 12—1.8 Mya.
Sinotherium is a genus of single-horned elasmotheriine rhinoceros that lived from the late Miocene to Early Pliocene. It was ancestral to Elasmotherium, demonstrating a very important evolutionary transition from nasal-horned elasmotheriines to frontal-horned elasmotheriines. Its fossils have been found in the Karabulak Formation of Kazakhstan, lower jaw and teeth have been found in Mongolia, and a partial skull is known from the upper part of the Liushu Formation of western China. Sinotherium diverged from the ancestral genus, Iranotherium, first found in Iran, during the early Pliocene. Some experts prefer to lump Sinotherium, and Iranotherium into Elasmotherium.
Simocyon is a genus of extinct carnivoran mammal in the family Ailuridae. Simocyon, which was about the size of a mountain lion, lived in the late Miocene and early Pliocene epochs, and has been found in Europe, Asia, and rarely, North America and Africa.
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk, also known as the Patagonian hog-nosed skunk, is a type of hog-nosed skunk indigenous to the open grassy areas in the Patagonian regions of South Argentina and Chile. It belongs to the order Carnivora and the family Mephitidae.
Stink badgers, also known as false badgers are a genus (Mydaus) of the skunk family of carnivorans, the Mephitidae. They resemble the better-known members of the family Mustelidae also termed 'badgers'. There are only two extant species – the Palawan stink badger or pantot, and the Sunda stink badger or teledu. They live only on the western islands of the Greater Sunda Islands: Sumatra, Java, Borneo in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei and on the Philippine island of Palawan; as well as many other smaller islands in the region.
Musteloidea is a superfamily of carnivoran mammals united by shared characteristics of the skull and teeth. Musteloids are the sister group of pinnipeds, the group which includes seals.
Borophagus parvus is an extinct species of the genus Borophagus, of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the late Hemphillian of the Miocene epoch through the Pliocene epoch 10.3—4.9 Ma, existing for approximately 5.4 million years.
Borophagus dudleyi is an extinct species of the genus Borophagus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the late Hemphillian of the Miocene epoch through the Pliocene epoch. Borophagus dudleyi existed for approximately 5.4 million years.
Borophagus hilli is an extinct species of the genus Borophagus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the Late Miocene until the Pliocene.
Borophagus littoralis is an extinct species of the genus Borophagus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the early Miocene epoch through the Pliocene epoch. Borophagus littoralis existed for approximately 18.4 million years.
Borophagus secundus is an extinct species of the genus Borophagus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the Early Miocene epoch through the Late Miocene epoch. Borophagus secundus existed for approximately 17.7 million years.
Machairodontini is an extinct tribe of large saber-toothed cats of the subfamily Machairodontinae, that lived in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, during the Middle and Late Miocene.
Eucyon is an extinct genus of medium omnivorous coyote-like canid that first appeared in the Western United States during the late Middle Miocene 10 million years ago. It was the size of a jackal and weighed around 15kg. Its species E. zhoui was one of a number of North American mammals which invaded East Asia around 5–6 million years ago, followed by the genus going extinct 3 million years ago. This genus is proposed to have given rise to genus Canis 6 million years ago.
Enhydriodon is an extinct genus of mustelids known from Africa, Pakistan, and India that lived from the late Miocene to the early Pleistocene. It contains 9 confirmed species, 2 debated species, and at least a few other undescribed species from Africa. The genus belongs to the tribe Enhydriodontini in the otter subfamily Lutrinae. Enhydriodon means “otter tooth” in Ancient Greek and is a reference to its dentition rather than to the Enhydra genus.
Palaeomephitis steinheimensis is an extinct species of mephitid of the Miocene epoch in Europe. It is the earliest known species of the family Mephitidae.