Martinogale chisoensis

Martinogale chisoensis is the largest species of the extinct Late Miocene skunk genus Martinogale of central North America. It comes from the early Hemphillian Crew Bean Local and was described in 2003 from a rather complete skull. Because its cranial features resembled those of Buisnictis, it was first named Buisnictis chisoensis, and in 2005, along with the description of Martinogale faulli, it was reassigned to Martinogale. The species name comes from the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park, Texas, with the Latin ending ensis, from. The genus as a whole is characterised mainly by its jaws, which lack an upper second molar and have a greatly enlarged but thin upper fourth premolar and first molar, and its skull is smoother and narrower than in living skunks.