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Pekania Temporal range: Pliocene – Recent
Fisher (Pekania pennanti)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Mustelidae
Subfamily:	Guloninae
Genus:	Pekania Gray, 1865
Type species
Martes pennanti Erxleben, 1777
Species
Pekania pennanti †Pekania diluviana †Pekania occulta †Pekania palaeosinensis

Pekania is a genus of mustelid that contains a single living species, the fisher (Pekania pennanti). Formerly placed in the genus Martes, it was determined to be distinct enough to be placed within its own genus. A 2013 study also identified several fossil species formerly in Martes that are more closely related – and probably ancestral – to the fisher, moving them into Pekania as well.

Taxonomy

The fisher was for many years placed in the genus Martes. A 2008 study using DNA sequences found the remaining species of Martes to be more closely related to the wolverine (genus Gulo) than to the fisher, rendering Martes paraphyletic. Therefore, the fisher was reclassified in the separate genus Pekania. Current studies suggest that the fisher is more closely related to the wolverine and tayra than it is to martens, confirming its placement in the separate genus.

Evolution

The earliest known fossil member of Pekania is P. occulta from the Rattlesnake Formation of Oregon, which is about 7 million years old but already very similar to the fisher. Although endemic to North America today, Pekania may also have occurred in Asia in the past, with the first species known from between 2.5 and 5.0 million years ago. Two extinct members of the genus known from East Asia are Pekania palaeosinensis and P. anderssoni, though P. anderssoni is often considered to be a synonym of P. palaeosinensis. Another North American member of the genus, P. diluviana, has only been found in Middle Pleistocene North America. P. diluviana is strongly indicated to be related to the Asian finds, which suggests a migration. The modern fisher has been found as early as the Late Pleistocene era, about 125,000 years ago. No major differences are seen between the Pleistocene fisher and the modern fisher. Fossil evidence indicates that the fisher's range extended farther south than it does today.

References

1. ^ Samuels, J.X.; Cavin, J. (2013). "The earliest known fisher (Mustelidae), a new species from the Rattlesnake Formation of Oregon". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 33 (2): 448–454. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.722155. S2CID 42079934.
2. Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Deere, Kerry A; Slater, Graham J; Begg, Colleen; Begg, Keith; Grassman, Lon; Lucherini, Mauro; Veron, Geraldine; Wayne, Robert K (February 14, 2008). "Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: Resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation". BMC Biology. 6 (10): 10. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-6-10. PMC 2276185. PMID 18275614.
3. Powell, R.A. (May 8, 1981). "Martes pennanti" (PDF). Mammalian Species (156). The American Society of Mammalogists: 1–6. doi:10.2307/3504050. JSTOR 3504050. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-10-30. Retrieved October 21, 2011.

v t e Genera of red pandas, raccoons, skunks, mustelids and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora
Musteloidea Musteloidea †Peignictis †Plesiogale Ailuridae Ailurinae Ailurus †Magerictis †Parailurus †Pristinailurus †Amphictinae Amphictis †Simocyoninae Actiocyon Alopecocyon Protursus Simocyon Mephitidae †Brachyprotoma Conepatus Mephitis Mydaus †Palaeomephitis †Promephitis Spilogale Procyonidae †Amphinasua †Angustictis †Arctonasua Bassaricyon Bassariscus †Bassaricynoides †Chapalmalania †Cyonasua †Edaphocyon Nasua Nasuella †Parahyaenodon †Paranasua †Parapotos †Probassariscus Procyon †Protoprocyon Potos †Tetraprothomo
Mustelidae Mustelidae †Acheronictis †Aragonictis †Arikarictis †Circamustela †Erokomellivora †Franconictis †Kenyalutra †Kinometaxia †Laphyctis †Luogale †Marcetia †Matanomictis †Melidellavus †Mellalictis †Mesomephitis †Miomustela †Namibictis †Oaxacagale †Palaeomeles †Paragale †Parataxidea †Perunium †Plesictis †Plesiogale †Plesiomeles †Prepoecilogale †Presictis †Promellivora †Proputorius †Pyctis †Sabadellictis †Semantor †Sinictis †Sivalictis †Skopelogale †Sonitictis †Taxodon †Trochotherium †Xenictis †Zorilla Guloninae †Canimartes Eira †Ferinestrix Gulo †Iberictis †Ischyrictis Martes Pekania †Plesiogulo †Plionictis †Sthenictis Helictidinae Melogale Ictonychinae †Brevimalictis †Cernictis †Eirictis †Enhydrictis Galictis Ictonyx †Lutravus Lyncodon †Martellictis †Negodiaetictis †Oriensictis †Pannonictis †Poecilictis Poecilogale †Sminthosinis †Stipanicicia †Trigonictis †Trochictis Vormela Lutrinae †Algarolutra Aonyx †Cyrnaonyx †Cyrnolutra †Djourabus Enhydra †Enhydriodon †Enhydritherium Hydrictis †Limnonyx Lontra Lutra †Lutraeximia †Lutrictis Lutrogale †Megalenhydris †Megencephalon †Melodon †Mionictis †Nesolutra †Paludolutra †Paralutra †Pelycictis Pteronura †Sardolutra †Satherium †Siamogale †Sivaonyx †Teruelictis †Torolutra †Tyrrhenolutra †Vishnuonyx †Leptarctinae Craterogale Leptarctus Trocharion Melinae †Arctomeles Arctonyx Meles †Promeles Mellivorinae †Ekorus †Eomellivora †Hoplictis Mellivora †Moralesictis †Mustelavinae Mustelavus Mustelinae †Baranogale †Dinogale †Lartetictis †Legionarictis Mustela Neogale †Tisisthenes †Oligobuninae Brachypsalis Corumictis Floridictis Megalictis Oligobunis Parabrachypsalis Paroligobunis Promartes Zodiolestes Taxidiinae †Chamitataxus †Pliotaxidea Taxidea

• Martens
• Carnivoran genera
• Mammal genera with one living species