''Zodiolestes'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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 in ...

s, now

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

, which existed during the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first 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 means "less recen ...

period. The genus was first described in 1942, by E. S. Riggs, who identified the sister genus ''

Promartes ''Promartes'' is a genus of mustelids, now extinct, which existed during the Miocene 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 ...

'' at the same time, and assigned to the family

Procyonidae Procyonidae is a New World family of the order Carnivora. It comprises the raccoons, ringtails, cacomistles, coatis, kinkajous, olingos, and olinguitos. Procyonids inhabit a wide range of environments and are generally omnivorous. Character ...

. In 1998 it was assigned to the subfamily

Oligobuninae ''Oligobuninae'' is an extinct subfamily of the family Mustelidae known from Miocene deposits in North America. The subfamily was described by J. A. Baskin in 1998; of the genera that he assigned to this clade, seven are recognized today - ''Bra ...

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 others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in ...

. Two species have been identified in the genus: '' Z. daimonelixensis'' and '' Z. freundi''. ''Z. daimonelixensis'' showed digging adaptations, and one fossil was found curled up in the "corkscrew" burrow of the Miocene beaver, ''

Palaeocastor ''Palaeocastor'' ('prehistoric beaver') is an extinct genus of beavers that lived in the North American Badlands during the late Oligocene period to early Miocene. ''Palaeocastor'' was much smaller than modern beavers. There are several specie ...

''. ''Zodiolestes'' was most likely a predator of these fossorial beavers. This situation was analogous to the modern day prairie dog (genus ''

Cynomys Prairie dogs (genus ''Cynomys'') are herbivorous burrowing ground squirrels native to the grasslands of North America. Within the genus are five species: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah, and Mexican prairie dogs. In Mexico, p ...

'') and its predator the black-footed ferret (''

Mustela nigripes The black-footed ferret (''Mustela nigripes''), also known as the American polecatHeptner, V. G. (Vladimir Georgievich); Nasimovich, A. A; Bannikov, Andrei Grigorovich; Hoffmann, Robert S. (2001)''Mammals of the Soviet Union''Volume: v. 2, pt. 1 ...

'').

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q8073240 Prehistoric mustelids Miocene mustelids Prehistoric mammals of North America Prehistoric carnivoran genera