The Martes Complex
Until recently, the genus Martes included the American marten (Martes americana) and fisher (M. pennanti) in northern North America; the European pine marten (M. martes) and stone (beech, house) marten (M. foina) in Europe and south-central Asia; the sable (M. zibellina) in northern and eastern Asia; the Japanese marten (M. melampus ) in Japan and the Korean Peninsula; the yellow-throated marten (M. flavigula) in southeast Asia; and the Nilgiri marten (M. gwatkinsii) in southern India. However, a series of phylogeographic and morphometric studies have provided compelling evidence for the existence of another species in the genus Martes – the Pacific Marten (M. caurina) of the western United States and southwestern Canada. Recent phylogenetic studies of the Mustelidae and Musteloidea have shown, however, that the genus Martes is polyphyletic with respect to the fisher. This species is indeed more closely related to the wolverine (Gulo gulo) and tayra (Eira barbara) than it is to the martens. It is the only extant species in the sub-genus Pekania within the genus Martes; consequently, Pekania has been elevated to the genus level, and the Fisher was reclassified as Pekania pennanti. Thus, it is now clear that the genera Martes, Pekania, Gulo, and Eira include all extant species within a larger genetic lineage. However, no currently recognized subfamily encompasses this lineage. For this reason, Proulx and Aubry (2014. The “Martes Complex” – An opportunity to bring together marten, fisher, sable, wolverine, and tayra biologists. Canadian Wildlife Biologist & Management 3: 30-33. ) proposed that the term “Martes Complex” be used to describe the 11 species that comprise the genera Martes, Pekania, Gulo,and Eira.
American marten
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Pacific marten
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European pine marten
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Stone marten
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Sable
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Japanese marten
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Yellow-throated marten
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Nilgiri marten
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Fisher
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Wolverine
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Tayra
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