Zodiolestes
Encyclopedia
Zodiolestes is a genus
of mustelids, now extinct, which existed during the Miocene
period.
The genus was first described in 1942, by E. S. Riggs, who identified the sister genus Promartes
at the same time, and assigned to the family Procyonidae
. In 1998 it was assigned to the subfamily Oligobuninae
of the family Mustelidae
. Two species have been identified in the genus: Z. daimonelixensis and Z. freundi .
Zodiolestes daimonelixensis showed digging adaptations, as one fossil was found curled up in the"corkscrew" burrow of the Miocene beaver, Palaeocastor. Zodiolestes was most likely a predator of these fossorial beavers. This situation was analogous to the modern day prairie dogs(Cynomys ludovicianus) and its predator the black-footed ferret(Mustela nigripes).
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of mustelids, now extinct, which existed during the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
period.
The genus was first described in 1942, by E. S. Riggs, who identified the sister genus Promartes
Promartes
Promartes is a genus of mustelids, now extinct, which existed during the Miocene period.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. In 1998 it was assigned to the subfamily Oligobuninae....
at the same time, and assigned to the family Procyonidae
Procyonidae
Procyonidae is a New World family of the order Carnivora. It includes the raccoons, coatis, kinkajous, olingos, ringtails and cacomistles. Procyonids inhabit a wide range of environments, and are generally omnivorous.-Characteristics:...
. In 1998 it was assigned to the subfamily Oligobuninae
Oligobuninae
Oligobuninae is an extinct subfamily of the Mustelidae family.The subfamily was described by J. A. Baskin in 1998, who assigned seven genera to it - Brachypsalis, Megalictis, Oligobunis, Paroligobunis, Potamotherium, Promartes, and Zodiolestes - representing thirteen separate species....
of the family Mustelidae
Mustelidae
Mustelidae , commonly referred to as the weasel family, are a family of carnivorous mammals. Mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora, at least partly because in the past it has been a catch-all category for many early or poorly differentiated taxa...
. Two species have been identified in the genus: Z. daimonelixensis and Z. freundi .
Zodiolestes daimonelixensis showed digging adaptations, as one fossil was found curled up in the"corkscrew" burrow of the Miocene beaver, Palaeocastor. Zodiolestes was most likely a predator of these fossorial beavers. This situation was analogous to the modern day prairie dogs(Cynomys ludovicianus) and its predator the black-footed ferret(Mustela nigripes).