Marten

A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus Martes within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on the species; it is valued by animal trappers for the fur trade. Martens are slender, agile animals, which are adapted to living in the taiga, and inhabit coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the Northern Hemisphere.

Classification

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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The genus first evolved up to seven million years ago during the Miocene epoch.

Fossils

Several fossil martens have been described, including:

• †Martes campestris (Pliocene)
• †Martes wenzensis (Pliocene)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• †Martes vetus (Pleistocene)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Another described fossil species, Martes nobilis from the Holocene, is now considered synonymous with the American marten.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Etymology

The Modern English "marten" comes from the Middle English Template:Lang, in turn borrowed from the Anglo-French Template:Lang and Old French Template:Lang, itself from a Germanic source; cf. Old English Template:Lang, Old Norse Template:Lang, and Old High German and Yiddish Template:Lang Template:Transliteration.

Ecology and behaviour

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They are omnivorous.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Spatial niche segregation

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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In human culture

Canada

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.Template:Citation needed

Croatia

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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref>Croatian National Bank. First Money — History of the Croatian Currency Template:Webarchive: Kuna and lipa — the Croatian Currency. – Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref> 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.<ref>Croatian National Bank. Kuna and Lipa, Coins of Croatia Template:Webarchive: 1 Kuna Coin Template:Webarchive, 2 Kuna Coin Template:Webarchive, 5 Kuna Coin Template:Webarchive, & Commemorative 25 Kuna Coins in Circulation Template:Webarchive. – Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Grbovnica Slavonije">Ivan Bojničić-Kninski – Grbovnica kraljevine "Slavonije", (1895) – PDF Template:In lang.</ref>

Finland

The Finnish communications company Nokia derives its name, via the river Nokianvirta, from a type of marten locally known as the nokia.<ref>Story of Nokia, retrieved on the 17 July 2013</ref>

Greece

In the Illiad, the fleet-footed spy Dolon wore a marten-pelt cap.Template:Citation needed

Italy

The Latin word for helmet, Template:Lang, originally meant "marten pelt", although it is unclear whether early Romans wore these helmets for symbolical reasons or for their fine fur.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

External links

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