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Post by Melanie on May 21, 2005 21:35:08 GMT
This species was thought to have survived until about 1894 in New Brunswick (Campbell 1988, Nowak 1999), however, it was uncertain whether specimens belonged to this species or to M. vison. The most recent report (Mead et al. 2000) substantiates the validity of this species and records an estimated extinction date of 1860. Here are bones:  The Sea Mink (Mustela macrodon) was a distinct species, 25-50% larger than the common Mink (Mustela vison). Sea Mink lived on rocky shores and islands in Maine, and perhaps elsewhere on the Northeast coast. They were valued for their fur and where trapped to extinction between 1860 and 1900. Most formation about Sea Mink comes from finds of their bones in camp sites used by Native people before Europeans came to North America. Hand a text about the bones www.unbf.ca/arts/anthropology/Experiences/black/Kineo-SeaMink/sea.htmA sketch can be found in "The Doomsday Book of Animals" |
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Post by Melanie on May 21, 2005 22:00:53 GMT
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Post by another specialist on May 22, 2005 19:00:28 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Aug 5, 2005 9:03:31 GMT
Mustela vison antiquus
Form of Mustela macrodon
Maine, Flagg Island, Casco Bay
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Post by another specialist on Aug 5, 2005 9:05:41 GMT
Mustela macrodon sometimes listed as Mustela vison macrodon
Formerly on Atlantic coast from New Brunswick to Massachusetts
Listed distinct by Hall (1981)
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Post by lenny 1 on Aug 14, 2005 20:19:33 GMT
some still claims that this species still survives, mammals regulay caught in lobster and fishing traps has been asigned to this creature, in those case were experts has looked at the catch, it has either been some kind of otter or a american mink, so so far none has any evidence for their claims, sad as it would be a great sensation if it really were Mustela macrodon that has been re captured after all this time, I still ceeps my finger crossed that someone finally will see or catch a real seamink.  |
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Post by Bhagatí on Jan 30, 2007 23:06:24 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Jan 31, 2007 10:18:55 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Jan 31, 2007 10:24:14 GMT
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Post by Peter on May 19, 2007 7:50:42 GMT
Mustela macrodonTaxonomy Kingdom ANIMALIA Phylum CHORDATA Class MAMMALIA Order CARNIVORA Family MUSTELIDAE Common Name/s SEA MINK (E) Species Authority Prentis, 1903 Taxonomic Notes Some consider this conspecific with M. vison. There are also arguments to place M. macrodon and M. vison into a separate genus Neovison. Assessment Information Red List Category & Criteria EX ver 3.1 (2001) Year Assessed 2002 Assessor/s Mustelid, Viverrid & Procyonid Specialist Group Evaluator/s Maran, T. & Wirth, R. (Mustelid Red List Authority) Justification This species was thought to have survived until about 1894 in New Brunswick (Campbell 1988, Nowak 1999), however, it was uncertain whether specimens belonged to this species or to M. vison. The most recent report (Mead et al. 2000) substantiates the validity of this species and records an estimated extinction date of 1860. Distribution Country Names United States [RE] (Maine [RE]; Massachusetts? [RE]) System Terrestrial; Marine Data Sources Campbell, R.R. 1988. Status of the sea mink, Mustela macrodon, in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 102: 304-306. Mead, J.I., Speiss, A.E., and Sobolik, K.D. 2000. Skeleton of extinct North American sea mink (Mustel macrodon). Quat. Res. 53: 247-262. Nowak, R.M. (ed.) 1999. Walkers Mammals of the World. Sixth edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citation: Mustelid, Viverrid & Procyonid Specialist Group 2002. Mustela macrodon. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 May 2007. Source: www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/40784/all.
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Post by another specialist on May 19, 2007 11:38:13 GMT
Skeleton of extinct North American sea mink (Mustela macrodon) Mead, J. I.; Spiess, A. E.; Sobolik, K. D. 2000 Quaternary Research 53: 247-262 Mustela macrodon (extinct sea mink) is known only from prehistoric and historic Native American shell middens dating less than 5100 years old along coastal islands of the Gulf of Maine, northeastern North America. The species is distinct from all known extant subspecies of M. vision (American mink) but still belongs to the North American subgenus Vison. Metric comparisons between M. macrodon and five subspecies of M. vison, using skull, mandible, humerus, radius, femur, and tibia skeletal elements, show that M. macrodon is larger in overall size and robustness and is proportionately larger in the dental region. Many habitat-related parallels exist between coastal island mink of the Gulf of Maine and those of the Alexander Archipelago, southeastern Alaska, where the overall largest living subspecies of mink is found (M. v. nesolestes). (C) 2000 University of Washington. www.carnivoreconservation.org/site/itemdetail.php?recordid=6531 |
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Post by another specialist on May 19, 2007 11:39:57 GMT
Archaeological records of the extinct Sea Mink, Mustela macrodon (Carnivora: Mustelidae), from Canada Black, D. W.; Reading, J. E.; Savage, H. G. 1998 Canadian Field Naturalist 112: 45-49 The extinct Sea Mink, Mustela macrodon, is reported from bones found in prehistoric archaeological sites in southern New Brunswick. The former range of this species, based on historical records and archaeological remains, is considered to have included coastal Maine, coastal New England as far south as Massachusetts, the southern coasts of the Maritime Provinces, and possibly Newfoundland. The association of some Sea Mink bones reported here with flaked lithic materials from geological sources in Maine suggests the bones were brought to New Brunswick by Native people, rather than representing a population of Sea Mink living on the New Brunswick coast in the past. www.carnivoreconservation.org/site/itemdetail.php?recordid=5347 |
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Post by another specialist on May 19, 2007 11:43:18 GMT
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Post by Peter on May 19, 2007 11:58:21 GMT
Here two more images:  Source: Marine Mammals of the North Atlantic poster ( www.marinemammalogy.org/SMM15poster.pdf).  Source: The Doomsday Book of Animals (Day, 1981). Black and white illustration by Maurice Wilson. |
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Post by another specialist on May 19, 2007 19:48:39 GMT
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Post by another specialist on May 19, 2007 19:51:39 GMT
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 12:04:46 -0300 Reply-To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> Sender: Nature NB <[log in to unmask]> From: Donald McAlpine <[log in to unmask]> Organization: New Brunswick Museum Subject: Re: sea mink Comments: To: "Laurie D. Murison" <[log in to unmask]> Comments: cc: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Laurie, I have a couple of recent papers I can send, and I also have Manville's paper in my files. Manville's proposal that the sea mink (Mustela macrodon) be considered a subspecies of the mink, (Mustela vision) has never been widely accepted, and certainly not in the zooarchaeological community. In any event ,a recent paper suggests M. macrodon is distinct from all known subspecies of M. vision (Mead et al. 2000. Skeleton of extinct North American sea mink (Mustela macrodon. Quarternary Research 53: 247-262). Also of interest is a paper by David Black (UNB) on the sea mink in Canada, particularly NB (Black et al. 1998. Archaeological records of the extinct sea mink, Mustela macrodon, from Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 112: 45-49). And by the way, the Campobello specimen is not in the Smithsonian. It is still in private hands in Maine, although whether the specimen is a real sea mink is still an open question. Don. Donald F. McAlpine, Ph.D. Curator of Zoology New Brunswick Museum 277 Douglas Avenue Saint John, N.B., Canada E2K 1E5 phone 506-643-2345 fax 506-643-2360 e-mail [log in to unmask] Donald F. McAlpine, Ph.D. Curator of Zoology New Brunswick Museum 277 Douglas Avenue Saint John, N.B., Canada E2K 1E5 phone 506-643-2345 fax 506-643-2360 e-mail [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Laurie D. Murison [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 11:18 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: sea mink Hi all, I received this request (copied below) and while I can provide a very tiny bit of information from the Grand Manan Historian, I was wondering if anyone else had more information or references about the extinct sea mink, a subspecies of the American mink. Has the sea mink ever been featured in the "N.B. Naturalist"? The following is from The Grand Manan Historian, No. XX. "The Other Creatures" 1978. Grand Manan Historical Society. The sea mink was larger than the American mink and skeletal remains have been found in a number of coastal Maine localities. After examining considerable material Manville came to the conclusion that the sea mink was in reality only a subspecies of the American mink and referred to it as _Mustela vison macrodon_. There is no record of this mammal occurring on Grand Manan, however the possibility cannot be overlooked. A mounted specimen, taken on Campobello Island, 1894, is now in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. I did provide the Manville 1966 reference but I'm not sure she will be able to find it, given her school's location in rural Ontario. (Manville, R.H. 1966. The Extinct Sea Mink, with Taxonomic Notes. Proc. United States National Museum. Vol. 122, No.3584: 12pp.) Thanks, Laurie Murison listserv.unb.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0004d&L=naturenb&P=6009 |
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Post by Peter on May 22, 2007 20:50:38 GMT
I recieved from Jan Robovsky from the Czech Republic the following pdf: Journal of Mammalogy, 88(2):371–383, 2007 DENTAL DIVERGENCE SUPPORTS SPECIES STATUS OF THE EXTINCT SEA MINK (CARNIVORA: MUSTELIDAE: NEOVISON MACRODON) REBECCA A. SEALFON* Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA Present address: Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA The sea mink (Neovison macrodon (Prentiss, 1903): Mustelinae) was an unusual late-Cenozoic example of an organism that had rapidly evolved toward a marine niche. Except for the otters, it was probably the most aquatic member of the Musteloidea. Its status as a separate species has not been resolved. A larger relative of the American mink (N. vison), it inhabited the shores of New England and possibly the Canadian Maritime Provinces until it was hunted to extinction in the 19th century. Skeletal and skin specimens were not collected by zoologists, but the former are known from Native American archaeological sites. The hypothesis that the sea mink showed dental divergence from N. vison, an indication of systematic and ecological distinctness, was tested on 111 dentally mature mink specimens originally collected from the Turner Farm archaeological site (Penobscot Bay, Maine). These teeth, dating from about 5,000 to 250 years ago, were compared with 158 other specimens measured for this study and published data from 78 individuals, representing 4 subspecies of N. vison and 22 additional musteloid genera. Thirteen dental measurements were taken on all species and studied using regressions, principal component analysis, and significance testing. Based on comparisons with American mink, it appears likely that the archaeological specimens included primarily N. macrodon but also N. vison. Although pairs of species within the Lutrinae and genus Mustela showed divergence comparable to that of N. vison and N. macrodon, the dental proportions of male and female N. vison and of the several N. vison subspecies were nearly identical. These analyses suggest that N. macrodon was sufficiently distinct from N. vison to support its recognition as a separate species. You can e-mail me if you want to have the full-text pdf. |
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Post by another specialist on May 23, 2007 6:20:49 GMT
I will contact you now Peter - would love a copy
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Post by another specialist on Jul 10, 2007 12:31:20 GMT
I need info on sea mink. A 7lb ? found by a lobsterman in a trap As far as I know the sea mink has not been rediscovered! Little is known of this extinct mammal which is believed to have inhabited the rocky coasts and offshore islands of New England north to the Bay of Fundy. The sea mink was twice as large as the well-known American mink, and therefore its pelt fetched a higher price. It was exterminated by about 1870, and the last one to be captured was taken from Campobellow Island, New Brunsiock, in 1894. I haven't heard of any rediscovery of the sea mink! What do you mean with A 7lb? And where have you heard that it might be found by a lobsterman in a trap? That would be great news! Peter I live on the Maine Coast, a friend of mine has a son and he is a lobsterman and he caught a 7+lb "river otter" or "sea Mink"  . We are not sure what it is, it was in his lobster trap and it was dead. It was looking for food in the trap and could not get out. My friend froze the carcus and she knows who to have identify it. However, my curiosity is killing me and I have researched sea mink and have not found much more than what you have told me. I have researched river otters and the average weight of a river otter is 12 lbs. Maybe this is a young river otter? It was caught 2 miles off mainland near a small island. It is very dark brown to black and has a faint gray under chin and on breast. will I'm curious too! So please tell us when you know more! Why is this in here? the sea mink is not been rediscovered so should be in extinct category? It is here, because it is about a 'possible' rediscovery of the sea mink. I know just wondering why this thread is here when it should be in extinct. So, now has it been moved as this is no proof that it has been rediscovered. Its just another ex were people claims that they have rediscovered a animal, but they hasent have any proof for it. So, now has it been moved as this is no proof that it has been rediscovered. Its just another ex were people claims that they have rediscovered a animal, but they hasent have any proof for it. great to see it in the right place this thread has now been deleted |
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Post by another specialist on Sept 7, 2007 18:54:14 GMT
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. We are not sure what it is, it was in his lobster trap and it was dead. It was looking for food in the trap and could not get out. My friend froze the carcus and she knows who to have identify it. However, my curiosity is killing me and I have researched sea mink and have not found much more than what you have told me. I have researched river otters and the average weight of a river otter is 12 lbs. Maybe this is a young river otter? It was caught 2 miles off mainland near a small island. It is very dark brown to black and has a faint gray under chin and on breast. 
