''Promartes'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

mustelid The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the suborde ...

s, now

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

, 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 ''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 Pr ...

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

Mustelidae The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivora, carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the s ...

. It belongs to the subfamily

Oligobuninae ''Oligobuninae'' is an extinct subfamily of the family Mustelidae The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivora, carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. O ...

. 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''.Riggs (1942)

Notes

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q7249679 Prehistoric mustelids Miocene mustelids Prehistoric mammals of North America Prehistoric carnivoran genera