query: What is the scientific name of the european polecat?
passage: European polecat
The European polecat (Mustela putorius)– also known as the common ferret, black or forest polecat, or fitch (as well as some other names)– is a species of mustelid native to western Eurasia and north Morocco. It is of a generally dark brown colour, with a pale underbelly and a dark mask across the face. Occasionally, colour mutations, including albinos and erythrists, occur.[2] Compared to minks and other weasels– fellow members of the genus Mustela– the polecat has a shorter, more compact body;[3] a more powerfully built skull and dentition;[4] is less agile;[5] and it is well known for having the characteristic ability to secrete a particularly foul-smelling liquid to mark its territory.
passage: European mink
Fossil finds of the European mink are very rare, thus indicating the species is either a relative newcomer to Europe, probably having originated in North America, or a recent speciation caused by hybridization. It likely first arose in the Middle Pleistocene, with several fossils in Europe dated to the Late Pleistocene being found in caves and some suggesting early exploitation by humans. Genetic analyses indicate, rather than being closely related to the American mink, the European mink's closest relative is the European polecat (perhaps due to past hybridization) and the Siberian weasel, being intermediate in form between true polecats and other members of the genus. The closeness between the mink and polecat is emphasized because the species can hybridize.