>From:    Sukie Crandall <[log in to unmask]>
>[snipped]
>
>The mustelids are descended from the dog branch of Carnivora.
 
My understanding is that the Mustelidae first appeared 16-23 million
years ago.  All modern dogs are descended from the small fox Leptocyon,
which didn't appear until 9-10 million years ago.
 
The two main branches of the order Carnivora (the Caniformia and the
Feliformia) arose about 48 million years ago though, before either
mustelids or dogs existed.  Both the Mustelidae and the modern dog are
categorised within the Caniformia branch of the order Carnivora, but that
obviously doesn't imply any descendency between dogs and mustelids of
course.  Other than that they may have had a common ancestor.
 
I imagine that's what was meant by the original statement.  I just didn't
want anyone to get hold of the wrong end of the stick and imagine that
ferrets are descended from dogs or vice versa.  Any more than we human
beings are descended from apes that is.
 
Eric Corbett
[Posted in FML issue 4928]