Where did domestic ferrets come from?

Question

what animal are they directly related to and where are they indigenous(from)?

Answer 1

The ancestry of the ferret is a point that is up for debate. They are difficult to trace in the fossils because their tiny bones disintegrate so thoroughly. Scientists, then, have to find other ways to explain the ferret’s ancestry.

They look at their body characteristics or morphology. They can also compare their traits to other species. They look at the teeth, diet and location of the ferrets, as well as where they store their fat. Finally, they do a comparative DNA study. From all this evidence, they have determined that the ferret came from the polecat and is in the mustelids family with the weasels.

http://www.petquery.com/ferret/pet-ferre...

Like most domestic animals, the original reason for ferrets' domestication by human beings is uncertain but it may have involved hunting. It was most likely domesticated from the European polecat (Mustela putorius), though it is also possible that ferrets are descendants of the Steppe polecat (Mustela eversmannii), or some hybridization thereof.  Analysis of mitochondrial DNA suggests that ferrets were domesticated around 2,500 years ago, although what appear to be ferret remains have been dated to 1500 BC.  It has been claimed that the ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate ferrets, but as no mummified remains of a ferret have yet been found, or any hieroglyph of a ferret, and no polecat now occurs wild in the area, that idea seems unlikely.

The Greek word ictis occurs in a play written by Aristophanes, The Acharnians, in 425 BC. Whether this was actually a reference to ferrets, polecats, or the similar Egyptian Mongoose is uncertain.

The name "ferret" is derived from the Latin furittus, meaning "little thief", a likely reference to the common ferret penchant for secreting away small items.  Ferrets were probably used by the Romans for hunting.

Colonies of feral ferrets have established themselves in areas where there is no competition from similarly sized predators, such as in the Shetland Islands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret

Answer 2

The domestic ferret is descended from the European polecat (Mustela putorious), which is still common across much of Europe. They are members of the family Mustelidae, the weasel family, which also includes badgers, otters, stoats, martens, mink, wolverines and, of course, weasels. They are not to be confused with the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) of North America, which is a completely different, though related, species.

Polecat image:

http://i1.treknature.com/photos/1396/trl...

Black-footed ferret image:

http://www.furrybutterfly.com/students/b...