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Mustela nivalis (least weasel)

Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae

Taxonomy
Mustela nivalis was named by Linnaeus (1766) [not the original combination]. It is extant.

Subspecies
M. kudarensis
Sister species lacking formal opinion data
M. fenata, M. palerminea, M. plioerminea

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1766Mustela nivalis Linnaeus
1896Putorius rixosus Bangs
1968Mustela rixosa Kurten p. 103
1972Mustela rixosa Kurten
1980Mustela rixosa Kurten and Anderson p. 150
1984Mustela rixosa Anderson
1989Mustela nivalis Mead and Mead p. 149
2004Mustela nivalis Marmi et al. p. 489
2009Mustela nivalis Baryshnikov p. 85

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
subclassSynapsida
—Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
—Mammaliamorpha
—Mammaliaformes
RankNameAuthor
classMammalia
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—Boreoeutheria
—Laurasiatheria
—Scrotifera
—Ferae()
—CarnivoramorphaWyss and Flynn 1993
—CarnivoraformesFlynn et al.
orderCarnivora
suborderCaniformiaKretzoi 1943
infraorderCanoidea(Simpson 1931)
superfamilyArctoideaFlower 1869
—Mustelida
familyMustelidaeFischer 1817
subfamilyMustelinaeFischer 1817
genusMustela
speciesnivalisLinnaeus 1766

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Mustela nivalis Linnaeus 1766 [least weasel]
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Mustela nivalis kudarensis Baryshnikov 2009
Invalid names: Putorius rixosus Bangs 1896 [synonym]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
partNmean

Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: scansorialf
Diet: carnivoref
Diet 2: omnivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2005-06-08 10:11:09
Modified: 2005-08-22 19:38:29
Source: f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Ji et al. 2002, Carroll 1988, Lillegraven 1979, Hendy et al. 2009, Nowak 1991

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Middle Pleistocene to the top of the Holocene or 0.77400 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 0.3 Ma

Collections (24 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Pleistocene - Holocene2.588 - 0.0USA (West Virginia) Mustela rixosa (79659)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Nevada) Mustela nivalis (20280)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (West Virginia) Mustela nivalis (20555)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129United Kingdom (Norfolk) Mustela nivalis (49816)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Austria (Niederoesterreich) Mustela nivalis (50258)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Hungary Mustela nivalis (35045 35047 36706)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Italy (Verona) Mustela nivalis (43653)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Germany (Rheinland-Pfalz) Mustela nivalis (49999 50196)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Italy (Vicenza) Mustela nivalis (43665)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Germany (Bayern) Mustela nivalis (50260)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (West Virginia) Mustela nivalis (93332)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial)0.129 - 0.0117Canada (Alberta) Mustela nivalis (93528)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Georgia Mustela nivalis (56735)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Virginia) Mustela nivalis (103991 104758) Mustela rixosa (82258)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene0.129 - 0.0USA (Virginia) Mustela rixosa (104034 104035)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene (late glacial)0.129 - 0.0USA (Nevada) Mustela nivalis (93291)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Netherlands Mustela nivalis (55533)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0United Kingdom (Scotland) Mustela nivalis (191169)