EXTINCT SEA MINK — MANVILLE 



Taxonomic Status 



The status of the extinct sea mink, Mustela macrodon, itself seems 

 in need of reappraisal. Known only from fragmentary skeletal 

 remains, its supposed external measurements are largely a matter of 

 conjecture. Certainly it must have been a large mmk, but figures 

 on its "probable dimensions" (Seton, 1929, vol. 2, p. 562) would 

 appear to have been exaggerated. I feel it more reasonable to 

 consider it as perhaps 25 per cent larger than M. v. mink of today 

 and 15 per cent larger than the present M. v. ingens. In this I 

 concur with Loomis (1911), who considered antiqjius {=macrodon) 

 as "all of 25 per cent larger" than liUreocephalus {=mink), with due 

 allowance for adult females being normally about 20 per cent smaller 

 than adult males in each species. 



II5I78 



6530 



188351 



Figure 2. — Palatal views of teeth in three minks, drawn to approximately the same scale: 

 115178, holotype of M. macrodon; 6530, holotype of M. v. ingens, Alaska; 188351, M. v. 

 mink, Connecticut. 



In figure 2 are sketches of the upper dentition of M. macrodon 

 and of two subspecies of present minks. The macrodon specimen is 

 fragmentary and considerably worn; yet, aside from its size and 

 generally massive character, I perceive in it no highly significant 

 differences when compared with the other two specimens. The 

 traits mentioned by Prentiss (1903), Hollister (1913), and Norton 

 (1930) — wide rostrum, large infraorbital foramen, low audital bullae, 

 rugose parietal, basioccipital with strong knob — appear to me to be 

 relatively minor in nature, and not of the magnitude generally 

 considered as distinguishing species. This was the opinion of Loomis 

 (1911), whose materials, in all probability, represented macrodon. 

 Loomis and Norton were not altogether in agreement as to the 

 nature of the sagittal crest, which probably varied with the age of 

 their specimens. 



As attested by Hardy (1903), a number of recognizably different 

 forms of mink occurred along the New England coast a century ago. 



