''Promartes'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
mustelid
The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family ...
s, now
extinct, which existed during the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
period.
Taxonomy
The genus was first described in 1942, by E. S. Riggs, who identified the sister genus ''
Zodiolestes'' at the same time, and assigned to the family
Mustelidae
The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in th ...
. It belongs to the subfamily
Oligobuninae
''Oligobuninae'' is an extinct subfamily of the family Mustelidae
The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among othe ...
. Five species have been identified in the genus: ''Promartes darbyi'', ''P. gemmarosae'', ''P. lepidus'', ''P. olcotti'', and''P. vantasselensis'', three of which were originally identified as members of ''
Oligobunis
''Oligobunis'' is an extinct genus of mustelids, which existed during the Miocene epoch.
The genus was first described by E. D. Cope in 1881. Cope assigned the genus to the family Mustelidae, and J. A. Baskin assigned it to the subfamily Oligo ...
''.
[Riggs (1942)]
Notes
References
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7249679
Prehistoric mustelids
Miocene mustelids
Prehistoric mammals of North America
Prehistoric carnivoran genera