Mitochondrial DNA and palaeontological evidence for the origins of endangered European mink, Mustela lutreola

The European mink Mustela lutreola is one of Europe's most endangered carni vores, with few vulnerable populations remaining. Surprisingly, a recent ph ylogeny placed a single mink specimen within the polecat (M. putorius, M. e versmannii) group, suggesting a recent speciation and/or the effects of hyb ridization. The analysis has now been extended to a further 51 mink and pol ecats. As before, phylogenetic methods failed to resolve the relationships between the species. One haplotype (C11) was found in both species, and pre dominated in European mink from Spain and eastern Europe. The known M. lutr eola fossils are of very young date, so either mink arose recently, or else the situation is confused by hybridization and a biased fossil recovery. T he study highlights the dangers of using a single genetic marker in definin g Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs). Polecats and European mink are c learly distinct in their morphology and ecology, and should still be consid ered as separate ESUs, but without further data it is difficult to define M anagement Units. Following the precautionary principle, we recommend that f or the moment European mink in eastern Europe (Belarus, Estonia and Russia) and Spain should be managed separately.