''Martinogale'' is an extinct genus of

skunk Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginge ...

from the

Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million ye ...

of central

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. There exist three accepted species, ''M.'' ''alveodens'', ''M.chisoensis'' and ''M.'' ''faulli'', which may have overlapped in range but occupied somewhat distinct moments of the Late Miocene. As well as the dubious ''Martinogale? nambiana''.

Description and species

''Martinogale'', as happens with most fossil skunks, has been solely described off of fragmentary craneal remains. The genus is mainly characterized by its jaws: in the upper jaw there's an absent upper Molar

^2

, and greatly enlarged but thin upper Premolar

^4

and Molar

^1

; while the lower jaw has a small and forward P

^2

, the absence of a lingual or labial cingulum around the P

^4

and a well developed M

^1

; neither jaw has a present Premolar

^1

. In regards to skull morphology, it is smoother and narrower than in living skunks, with a large, flask-shaped basicranial bulla.

''Martinogale alveodens''

This species was described in 1930 as a small mustelid from a fragmentary lower jaw found in the Edson Quarry, from late Hemphillian Kansas. It was described as the type of the new genus. Due to its fragmentary nature, the placement of ''Martinogale'' within Mustelidae was uncertain, but seemed feasible due to some similarities to the earlier ''Martes nambianus''. In 1938, a better preserved jaw indicated similarities with the spotted skunks of Mephitidae. The species name, ''alveodens'', hails from Latin ''alveus'', “a hollow, cavity or channel" and ''dens'', "tooth"

''Martinogale chisoensis''

The largest species, ''M. chisoensis'' hails from the early Hemphillian Crew Bean Local, it was described in 2003 based on a rather complete skull. Due to the cranial similarities with '' Buisnictis'' it was named ''"Buisnictis" chisoensis''. In 2005, along with the description of ''M. faulli'', it was reassigned to ''Martinogale''. The species name, ''chisoensis'', comes from Chisos Mountains in

Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park is an American national park located in West Texas, bordering Mexico. The park has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, and was named after ...

, Texas, and ''ensis'', Latin for “from”.

''Martinogale faulli''

The oldest and smallest of the species, ''M. faulli'' was described in 2005 from a partial skull found in the Late Clarendonian Dove Spring Formation, from Kern County, California. ''M. faulli'' has a smoother skull than ''M. chisoensis'' and relatively smaller teeth, with a better defined basicranial bulla. The species name ''faulli'' is in honor of Mark Faull, a former ranger at Red Rock Canyon State Park.

''Martinogale? nambiana''

In 1874, a P

^3

, P

^4

and an incredibly fragmentary M

^1

were discovered in the Santa Fé Marls, New Mexico. Cope originally identified it as ''Martes nambianus'', uncertain of this association, a year later Cope moved it to ''Mustela nambiana''. When Hall erected ''Martinogale,'' he moved ''M. nambiana'' into his new genus, where it has since remained. In 2005, Wang et. al. argued that the few characteristics present in these teeth were too non-specific, arguing that they simply represent the basal mustelid condition and that ''M? nambiana'' should not be considered a part of ''Martinogale''; that the specimen can't be ascribed to a concrete genus.

Phylogeny

When compared to modern genera, both extant: '' Spilogale'', '' Mephitis'' and '' Conepatus'', as well as extinct: ''

Brachyprotoma ''Brachyprotoma obtusata'' (also known as the short-faced skunk) is an extinct genus of skunk of the Pleistocene epoch what is now North America. References Skunks Prehistoric caniforms Fauna of Canada Extinct animals of the United ...

'' and '' Osmotherium'', ''Martinogale'' presents reasonable differences in the premolar structure, thin postorbital skull, slightly expanded mastoid process and the general structure of the basicranial bulla. In 2005 Wang et al.'s phylogenetic analysis recovered ''Martinogale'' as a somewhat paraphyletic association, although as their chronology advances so does their derivation:

References

{{taxonbar, from1=Q1687644 Skunks Prehistoric caniforms Extinct animals of the United States Fossil taxa described in 1930 Prehistoric carnivoran genera