Meles (genus) theorized that they were an ancestral species from which these two modern species diverged. Another extinct species from Europe is "Meles hollitzeri" from the Early Pleistocene, remains of which were found in Deutsch-Altenburg, in northeastern Austria, and Untermassfeld, in southeastern Germany. Meles (genus) Meles is a genus of badgers containing three living species, the Japanese badger ("Meles anakuma"), Asian badger ("Meles leucurus"), and European badger ("Meles meles"). In an older categorization, they were seen as a single species with three subspecies ("Meles meles anakuma", "Meles meles leucurus" and "Meles meles meles"). There are also several extinct members of the genus.
Meles (genus) Primorskii. Genetic studies of mitochondrial DNA shows the separation of two variants on either side of the Volga but their exact taxonomic rank remains undefined. A further study of cheek teeth from individuals across the entire range supports this division and provides confirmation that "M. meles" and "M. anakuma" are indeed separate species. A further species is "Meles thorali" from the late Pleistocene, known only from fossil remains, specimens of which have been found at Saint-Vallier, Drôme, in southeastern France and Binagady, in Azerbaijan. These have large cheek teeth and characteristics intermediate between "M. meles" and "M. anakuma". It is