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===Evolution and subspecies===
The earliest fossil finds attributable to ''Mephitis'' were found in the Broadwater site in [[Nebraska]], dating back to the [[early Pleistocene]] less than 1.8 million years ago. By the [[late Pleistocene]] (70,000–14,500 years ago), the striped skunk was widely distributed throughout the southern United States, and it expanded northwards and westwards by the [[Holocene]] (10,000–4,500 years ago) following the retreat of the [[Wisconsin glaciation|Wisconsin glacier]].<ref name="barton2012">{{cite journal |last=Barton
[[Phylogenetics|Phylogenetic analyses]] of the species' [[cytochrome b]] gene and microsatellite data in 2012 indicated that there are four [[phylogroup]]s of striped skunk. The first emerged from the Texas-Mexico region during the [[Rancholabrean]] before the Illinoian glaciation and colonized the southeastern United States. The second, still originating in the Texas-Mexico region, expanded westwards to the Rocky Mountains during the Illinoian glacial period. Two subsequent subclades were formed during the Sangamonian interglacial on either side of the Sierra Nevada. The subclade that colonized the Great Basin later expanded eastwards across the northern Rocky Mountains during the Holocene, recolonising the Great Plains and making contact with the southern phylogroup. A similar, but less significant, secondary contact occurred when the same subclade intermingled with members of the eastern phylogroup east of the Mississippi river.<ref name="barton2012"/>
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==Relationships with humans==
===In culture===
The striped skunk is commonly featured in the myths and oral traditions of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]s. Some stories try to explain its striped pattern or how it got its smell. Skunks fill various roles in legends and may be featured as heroes, villains, [[trickster]]s, or monsters. For the [[Muscogee]] people, the skunk represented family loyalty and defense of loved ones. The [[Ho-Chunk|Winnebago]] people used the skunk to symbolize vanity, being beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside.<ref name="skunk">{{cite book|author=Miller, Alyce L.|year=2015|title=Skunk|publisher=Reaktion Books
The striped skunk was once called the "emblem of America" by [[Ernest Thompson Seton]]. It has been prevalent in modern popular culture, being the subject of various jazz and [[funk]] songs like [[Cab Calloway]]'s "Skunk Song" and the Brecker Brothers' "[[Some Skunk Funk]]". The skunk connection in these genres may be due to the term "funk" being a term for strong odor. The novelty song "[[Dead Skunk]]" by [[Loudon Wainwright III]] was popular in the early 1970s. Skunks are also popular characters in children's stories, comics and cartoons, most notably the [[Warner Bros. Cartoons|Warner Bros.]] character [[Pepé Le Pew]] and the [[Walt Disney Company|Disney]] character [[Flower (Bambi)|Flower]]
===Trapping and fur use===
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{{Main article|Skunks as pets}}
The striped skunk is easily tamed and was often kept in barns to kill rats and mice during the 19th century.<ref name="lantz1923"/> [[Selective breeding]] has resulted in the emergence of various color mutations, including black, chocolate-brown or smokey gray and white, [[Apricot (color)|apricot]], albino, white, [[Lavender (color)|lavender]], [[Champagne (color)|champagne]] and [[Mahogany (color)|mahogany]].<ref name="cipriani2011">Cipriani, D. (2011) "Skunks are affectionate, intelligent pets for owners who offer the proper care
===Other uses===
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