Marten

Results of DNA research indicate that the genus Martes is paraphyletic, with some studies placing Martes americana outside the genus and allying it with Eira and Gulo, to form a new New World clade.{{cite journal |vauthors=Flynn JJ, Finarelli JA, Zehr S, Hsu J, Nedbal MA |title=Molecular phylogeny of the carnivora (mammalia): assessing the impact of increased sampling on resolving enigmatic relationships |journal=Syst. Biol. |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=317–37 |date=2005 |pmid=16012099 |doi=10.1080/10635150590923326 |jstor=20061233|doi-access=free }}{{cite journal |author1=Koepfli KP |title=Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation |journal=BMC Biology |volume=6 |issue=10 |date=Feb 2008 |page=10 |doi=10.1186/1741-7007-6-10|display-authors=etal |pmid=18275614 |pmc=2276185 |doi-access=free }} The genus first evolved up to seven million years ago during the Miocene epoch.

{{Species table |genus= Martes |authority-name=Pinel |authority-year=1792 |species-count=eight|no-note=y|narrow-percent=72}}

{{Species table/row

|name=American marten |binomial=Martes americana

|image=File:Newfoundland Pine Marten.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Turton |authority-year=1806 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Arctic Alaska east to Newfoundland, south to New York

|range-image=File:American Marten area.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Seven subspecies |bullets=on

|M. a. americana

|M. a. abieticola

|M. a. abietinoides

|M. a. actuosa

|M. a. atrata

|M. a. brumalis

|M. a. kenaiensis

}}

}}

{{Species table/row

|name= Pacific marten|binomial=Martes caurina

|image=File:Martes caurina 248900933.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Merriam|authority-year= 1890 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Southeast Alaska to central California, east to northern New Mexico

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Six subspecies |bullets=on

|M. c. caurina

|M. c. humboldtensis

|M. c. nesophila

|M. c. origensis

|M. c. sierrae

|M. c. vulpina

}}

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=European pine marten |binomial=Martes martes

|image=File:Pine Marten BWC.JPG|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Linnaeus |authority-year=1758 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Europe and SW Asia, from Ireland in the west, eastward to the Urals and into Anatolia, Transcaucasia, Mesopotamia and northern Iran

|range-image=File:European Pine Marten area.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name= Beech marten|binomial=Martes foina

|image=File:Martes foina kuna.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Erxleben|authority-year= 1777 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Spain and Portugal in the west, through Central and Southern Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, extending as far east as the Altai and Tien Shan mountains and northwest China

|range-image=File:Beech Marten area.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Eleven subspecies |bullets=on

|M. foina foina

|M. foina bosniaca

|M. foina bunites

|M. foina kozlovi

|M. foina intermedia

|M. foina mediterranea

|M. foina milleri

|M. foina nehringi

|M. foina rosanowi

|M. foina syriaca

|M. foina toufoeus

}}

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Yellow-throated marten |binomial=Martes flavigula

|image=File:Martes flavigula, yellow-throated marten.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Boddaert|authority-year= 1785 |authority-not-original=

|range= Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the Himalayas of India, Nepal and Bhutan, the Korean Peninsula, southern China, Taiwan and eastern Russia

|range-image=File:Yellow-throated Marten area.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Three subspecies |bullets=on

|M. f. flavigula (Boddaert, 1785)

|M. f. chrysospila (Pocock, 1936)

|M. f. robinsoni

}}

}}

{{Species table/row

|name=Nilgiri marten |binomial=Martes gwatkinsii

|image=File:Nilgiri Marten Naseef Gafoor.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Horsfield|authority-year= 1851 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Southern India

|range-image=File:Nilgiri Marten area.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= VU

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name= Sable|binomial=Martes zibellina

|image=File:Sobol-bur1.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Linnaeus|authority-year=1758 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Russia, Eastern Kazakhstan, China, North Korea and Hokkaidō, Japan

|range-image=File:Sable area.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name= Japanese marten|binomial=Martes melampus

|image=File:Wiki-ezokuroten1.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Wagner|authority-year= 1841 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= Japan

|range-image=File:Japanese Marten area.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Two subspecies |bullets=on

| M. m. melampus

| M. m. tsuensis

}}

}}

{{Species table/end}}

Several fossil martens have been described, including:

• †Martes campestris (Pliocene)
• †Martes wenzensis (Pliocene){{cite journal |last1= Samuels |first1= J.X. |last2= Cavin |first2= J. |date= May 2012 |title= The earliest known fisher (Mustelidae), a new species from the Rattlesnake Formation of Oregon |journal= Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume= 33 |issue= 2 |pages= 448–454 |doi= 10.1080/02724634.2013.722155|s2cid= 42079934 |doi-access= free }}
• †Martes vetus (Pleistocene){{cite journal |last1= Marciszak |first1= A. |last2= Ambros |first2= D. |last3= Hilpert |first3 = B. |date= October 2021 |title= Mustelids from Sackdilling Cave (Bavaria, Germany) and their biostratigraphic significance |journal= Geobios |volume= 68 |pages= 83–107 |doi= 10.1016/j.geobios.2021.04.004|bibcode= 2021Geobi..68...83M |s2cid= 236282824 }}

Another described fossil species, Martes nobilis from the Holocene, is now considered synonymous with the American marten.{{cite journal |last1=Youngman |first1=Phillip M. |last2=Schueler |first2=Frederick W. |title=Martes nobilis Is a Synonym of Martes americana, Not an Extinct Pleistocene-Holocene Species |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |date=1991 |volume=72 |issue=3 |pages=567–577 |doi=10.2307/1382140|jstor=1382140 }}

The Modern English "marten" comes from the Middle English {{lang|enm|martryn}}, in turn borrowed from the Anglo-French {{lang|xno|martrine}} and Old French {{lang|fro|martre}}, itself from a Germanic source; cf. Old English {{lang|ang|mearþ}}, Old Norse {{lang|non|mörðr}}, and Old High German and Yiddish {{lang|yi|מאַרדאַר}} {{transl|yi|mardar}}.

{{Blockquote

|text=marten (n.)

agile, short-legged, bushy-tailed, medium-sized carnivorous mammal in the weasel family, largely nocturnal and found in forests across the colder parts of the northern hemisphere, {{circa|1300}}, martrin, "skin or fur of the marten," from Old French martrine "marten fur," noun use of fem. adjective martrin "of or pertaining to the marten," from martre "marten," from Frankish *martar or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *marthuz (source also of Old Saxon marthrin "of or pertaining to the marten," Old Frisian merth, Middle Dutch maerter, Dutch marter, Old High German mardar, German Marder, Old English mearþ, Old Norse mörðr "marten").

The ultimate etymology is unknown. Some suggest it is from PIE *martu- "bride," on some fancied resemblance. Or it might be a substrate word or a Germanic euphemism for the real name of the animal, which might have been taboo. In Middle English the animal itself typically was called marter, directly from Old French martre, but martrin took over this sense in English after c. 1400. The form marten is from late 16c., perhaps due to association with the masc. proper name Martin.{{cite web | url=https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=marten | title=Marten | Search Online Etymology Dictionary }}

}}

Martens are solitary animals, meeting only to breed in late spring or early summer. Litters of up to five blind and nearly hairless kits are born in early spring. They are weaned after around two months, and leave the mother to fend for themselves at about three to four months of age.{{Cite web |title=American Marten (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/american-marten.htm |access-date=2024-01-21 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}} They are omnivorous.{{Cite web |title=marten {{!}} Size & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/marten |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}

The stone marten and the pine marten segregate spatially where they occur in sympatry. This spatial niche segregation is due to the differences regarding their food preferences, adaptability to cold climates and avoidance of predators.{{cite journal |first1=A. |last1=Wereszczuk |first2=A. |last2=Zalewski |title=Spatial niche segregation of sympatric Stone Marten and Pine Marten – Avoidance of competition or selection of optimal habitat? |journal=PLoS One |year=2015 |volume=10 |issue=10 |page=e0139852 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0139852 |pmid=26444280 |pmc=4596623 |bibcode=2015PLoSO..1039852W |doi-access=free}}

The spatial niche segregation between stone and pine martens is also influenced by each species' habitat preferences and resource availability within specific ecosystems. Studies in Belarus show that the pine marten is are more densely distributed in clay-rich, biodiverse woodlands, whereas the stone marten is adapted to habitats with greater resource limitations, such as sandy soils, where it relies more on seasonally available resources such as berries and carrion to meet its dietary needs.{{cite journal |first1=E.J. |last1=Vladimirova |first2=J.P. |last2=Mozgovoy |title=Winter ecology of the pine marten (Martes martes L.) in the Volga floodplain opposite Samara. |journal=Russian Journal of Ecology |year=2010 |volume=41 |issue=4 |pages=333–339 |doi=10.1134/S1067413610040090}}

In Ireland and Italy, the pine marten displays seasonal stability in home ranges within well-resourced habitats, suggesting that resource abundance can enhance spatial exclusivity and reduce direct competition between species.{{cite journal |first1=M. P. |last1=Bartolommei |first2=R. |last2=Cozzolino |title=Seasonal spatial behaviour of pine marten Martes martes in a deciduous oak forest of central Italy |journal=Mammal Research |year=2016 |volume=61 |issue=4 |pages=319–326 |doi=10.1007/s13364-016-0278-9}}{{cite journal |first1=D.T. |last1=O'Mahony |title= Socio-spatial ecology of pine marten (Martes martes) in conifer forests, Ireland |journal=Acta Theriologica |year=2014 |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=251–256 |doi=10.1007/s13364-013-0167-4}}

The marten is populous in the northern Ontario community of Big Trout Lake. During the fur trade, commissioned by the Hudson Bay Company in the 18th and 19th centuries, the marten pelt was typically fashioned into mittens. The marten is still traded locally. The locals place a high value on this pelt, typically trading it for consumable goods.{{Citation needed|date=July 2017}}

In the Middle Ages, marten pelts were highly valued goods used as a form of payment in Slavonia, the Croatian Littoral, and Dalmatia. The marturina was a form of tax named after this.{{Cite journal |last=Granic |first=Stan |date=2008-12-22 |title=From Fur Money to Modern Currency: The Kuna |url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/50550 |journal=Review of Croatian History |language=en |volume=IV |issue=1 |pages=87–109 |issn=1845-4380}} The banovac, a coin struck and used between 1235 and 1384, included the image of a marten. This is one of the reasons why the Croatian word for marten, kuna, was the name of the former Croatian currency.[http://www.hnb.hr Croatian National Bank]. [http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/povijest/e-nastavak-5.htm?tsfsg=36a1a164ef3c36dfbedd95da52672154 First Money — History of the Croatian Currency] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622023206/http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/povijest/e-nastavak-5.htm?tsfsg=36a1a164ef3c36dfbedd95da52672154 |date=2011-06-22 }}: Kuna and lipa — the Croatian Currency. – Retrieved on 31 March 2009. A marten is depicted on the obverse of the 1-, 2-, and 5-kuna coins, minted since 1993, and on the reverse of the 25-kuna commemorative coins.[http://www.hnb.hr Croatian National Bank]. [http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/ekovanic.htm?tsfsg=a89719a221b101407a7b882421d5f621 Kuna and Lipa, Coins of Croatia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622012116/http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/ekovanic.htm?tsfsg=a89719a221b101407a7b882421d5f621 |date=2009-06-22 }}: [http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/kovanice/e1kuna.htm?tsfsg=2f8fb802e4db3c45c05d9feb07991fe6 1 Kuna Coin] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622005600/http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/kovanice/e1kuna.htm?tsfsg=2f8fb802e4db3c45c05d9feb07991fe6 |date=2009-06-22 }}, [http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/kovanice/e2kune.htm?tsfsg=74f35c57720fb47dd515e8f950ea9037 2 Kuna Coin] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604014611/http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/kovanice/e2kune.htm?tsfsg=74f35c57720fb47dd515e8f950ea9037 |date=2011-06-04 }}, [http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/kovanice/e5kuna.htm?tsfsg=fa39efd7c6602f992d2ea120f7b64c3e 5 Kuna Coin] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604014532/http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/kovanice/e5kuna.htm?tsfsg=fa39efd7c6602f992d2ea120f7b64c3e |date=2011-06-04 }}, & [http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/kovanice/e25kuna.htm?tsfsg=7a96e774493deea7b43c1d6dd6d6471b Commemorative 25 Kuna Coins in Circulation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201194823/http://www.hnb.hr/ |date=2018-02-01 }}. – Retrieved on 31 March 2009. With adoption of euro as the national currency in 2023, a marten continues to be depicted on the obverse of the Croatian 1 euro coin.{{cite web |url=https://www.hnb.hr/en/currency/euro-coins/euro-coin-denominations |title=Euro coins with the national side of the Republic of Croatia |date=1 January 2023 |access-date=2 January 2023 |publisher=Croatian National Bank}}

A running marten is shown on the coat of arms of Slavonia and subsequently on the modern design of the coat of arms of Croatia. The official seal of the Croatian Parliament from 1497 until the late 18th century had a similar design.{{cite book | isbn=9789532972306 |author=Mario Jareb |title=Hrvatski nacionalni simboli (Eng.: Croatian National Symbols) |year=2010}}Ivan Bojničić-Kninski – [http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/94493 Grbovnica kraljevine "Slavonije", (1895)] – PDF {{in lang|hr}}.

The Finnish communications company Nokia derives its name, via the river Nokianvirta, from a type of marten locally known as the nokia.[http://www.nokia.com/global/about-nokia/about-us/the-nokia-story/ Story of Nokia], retrieved on the 17 July 2013

In the Illiad, the fleet-footed spy Dolon wore a marten-pelt cap.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

The Latin word for helmet, {{Lang|la|galea}}, originally meant "marten pelt", although it is unclear whether early Romans wore these helmets for symbolical reasons or for their fine fur.{{Cite book|title=Ancient Germanic warriors : warrior styles from Trajan's Column to Icelandic sagas|author=Speidel, Michael P.|date=2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415486828|oclc=632066572}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Wikispecies-inline|Martes}}
• {{Commons category-inline|Martes}}

{{Carnivora|M.}}

{{Musteloidea|Mae.|state=collapsed}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q26533}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Mammals of Canada

Category:Carnivorans of Europe

Category:Mammals of North America

Category:Extant Miocene first appearances

Category:Carnivorans of Asia

Category:Taxa named by Philippe Pinel