Posts tagged deer

Front View of Muntjac Skull The muntjac is native to South Asia, but has been introduced to some parts of England, and is considered an invasive species there. The general build of this small deer is similar throughout the genus, with a short stature, short and single-pointed antlers, and tusks. Muntjacs are also considered the oldest genus of deer extant, having originated at least 30 million years ago (as compared to white-tailed and mule deer, whose direct ancestor evolved less than 5 million years ago). Despite this, and their genetic similarities on an mtDNA level, the various species of the genus are very interesting to geneticists on account of their chromosomal differences. The Indian Muntjac has a diploid number of only 7 in the males, and 6 in the females, while the Reeve’s Muntjac has a diploid number of 46. That’s a huge difference in one genus, and we’re still trying to make sense of how the species can be so similar, yet so incredibly different! The Naturalist’s Library: Vol XXI - Mammalia: Deer, Antelopes and Camels. Sir William Jardine, 1878.

Front View of Muntjac Skull

The muntjac is native to South Asia, but has been introduced to some parts of England, and is considered an invasive species there. The general build of this small deer is similar throughout the genus, with a short stature, short and single-pointed antlers, and tusks.

Muntjacs are also considered the oldest genus of deer extant, having originated at least 30 million years ago (as compared to white-tailed and mule deer, whose direct ancestor evolved less than 5 million years ago). Despite this, and their genetic similarities on an mtDNA level, the various species of the genus are very interesting to geneticists on account of their chromosomal differences. The Indian Muntjac has a diploid number of only 7 in the males, and 6 in the females, while the Reeve’s Muntjac has a diploid number of 46. That’s a huge difference in one genus, and we’re still trying to make sense of how the species can be so similar, yet so incredibly different!

The Naturalist’s Library: Vol XXI - Mammalia: Deer, Antelopes and Camels. Sir William Jardine, 1878.

Top: Fossil Megaloceros giganteus with grown man for comparison.

Bottom: Approximation of Megaloceros giganteus in continental European environment.

The Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus), which wasn’t really an elk at all, wasn’t actually “Irish”, either. Though its fossils have been extensively preserved in the Irish peat bogs, and were first found in Ireland, this cervid lived throughout Eurasia, all the way east to Lake Baikal.

Their proposed extinction during the last major ice age has been disputed recently, with the dating of more recent bone caches. The current date that’s generally accepted for their (effective) extinction is around 7600 years ago.

Extinct Monsters. A Popular Account of Some of the Larger Forms of Ancient Animal Life. Rev. H. N. Hutchinson, 1896.

Essay on the Theory of the Earth. Baron Georges Cuvier, 1827.

eriebasin: Happy Holidays.  See you in 2012. (image source)

eriebasin:

Happy Holidays.  See you in 2012.

(image source)

eriebasin

Reindeer and Elk

It’s actually a reindeer and an elk this time! Well, a wapiti and a reindeer, according to Jardine. The term “wapiti” is not uncommon these days, though “elk” is not considered “correct” terminology for the moose, at least.

“Wapiti” comes from the Shawnee and Cree word “waapiti”, meaning “white rump”.

The Naturalist’s Library: Vol XXI. Sir William Jardine, 1799-1800.

The Elk (Cervus canadensis)  (Alces alces) and the Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) Though the reindeer (or caribou) was long known to be a distinct species of holarctic  deer, the elk (or wapiti) was thought to be a subspecies of the European red deer until quite recently. To confuse things even more, the early European explorers thought that the elk was a subspecies of moose, leading to the word “elk” meaning moose in much of Europe. If that’s not enough, elk (Cervus canadensis) exist throughout Siberia and in Manchuria and Mongolia, but are known as “maral” in most regions, because of confusion with the East European red deer (Cervus elaphus maral), and the Mongolian subspecies of elk is known as the Alatai maral, even though it’s since been re-classified as Cervus canadensis sibericus. Ok, so I apparently did not triple-check this and I put in an “elk” that was really a moose, but I’m gonna go ahead and blame this one on nomenclature. Well…at least we know what a reindeer is. For their body size, the more southerly subspecies of bull reindeer have the largest antlers of any deer, even outclassing the largest bull moose (though not in overall size). The more northerly reindeer have smaller and more spindly antlers, with fewer prongs. Unlike many deer, the reindeer antlers always grow in two specific directions, and have a very delineated anterior and posterior branch. The Handy Natural History. Ernest Protheroe, 1910.

The Elk (Cervus canadensis)  (Alces alces) and the Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)

Though the reindeer (or caribou) was long known to be a distinct species of holarctic  deer, the elk (or wapiti) was thought to be a subspecies of the European red deer until quite recently. To confuse things even more, the early European explorers thought that the elk was a subspecies of moose, leading to the word “elk” meaning moose in much of Europe. If that’s not enough, elk (Cervus canadensis) exist throughout Siberia and in Manchuria and Mongolia, but are known as “maral” in most regions, because of confusion with the East European red deer (Cervus elaphus maral), and the Mongolian subspecies of elk is known as the Alatai maral, even though it’s since been re-classified as Cervus canadensis sibericus.

Ok, so I apparently did not triple-check this and I put in an “elk” that was really a moose, but I’m gonna go ahead and blame this one on nomenclature.

Well…at least we know what a reindeer is. For their body size, the more southerly subspecies of bull reindeer have the largest antlers of any deer, even outclassing the largest bull moose (though not in overall size). The more northerly reindeer have smaller and more spindly antlers, with fewer prongs. Unlike many deer, the reindeer antlers always grow in two specific directions, and have a very delineated anterior and posterior branch.

The Handy Natural History. Ernest Protheroe, 1910.

Skull of Chinese Water-Deer Part of upper jaw cut away to show base of tusks. The Chinese water deer is classified as a cervid, despite having tusks instead of antlers. They are only native to China and Korea, but there are feral populations in pockets of France and southern England. The New Natural History of the World. Ernst Protheroe, 1910.

Skull of Chinese Water-Deer

Part of upper jaw cut away to show base of tusks.

The Chinese water deer is classified as a cervid, despite having tusks instead of antlers. They are only native to China and Korea, but there are feral populations in pockets of France and southern England.

The New Natural History of the World. Ernst Protheroe, 1910.

rhamphotheca: Did someone say “deer with enormous fucking tusks”? Skull of Siberian Musk Deer Moschus moschiferus  - Siberia (photo: Didier Descouens) Well…they might be a little cool. A LITTLE. I think my muntjac is more lovable than the excessively-tusked Siberian Musk. :[

rhamphotheca:

Did someone say “deer with enormous fucking tusks”?

Skull of Siberian Musk Deer Moschus moschiferus  - Siberia

(photo: Didier Descouens)

Well…they might be a little cool. A LITTLE. I think my muntjac is more lovable than the excessively-tusked Siberian Musk. :[

Both the illustration and this skull are from the British Museum of Natural History. Rhamphotheca says that fangy deer are the best damn thing out there, so perhaps I should make an effort to get over my disgruntled attitude towards them, just because I got bit once. Catalogue of the Ungulate Mammals in the British Museum of Natural History, Vol IV: Artiodactyla. Richard Lydekker, 1913.

Both the illustration and this skull are from the British Museum of Natural History.

Rhamphotheca says that fangy deer are the best damn thing out there, so perhaps I should make an effort to get over my disgruntled attitude towards them, just because I got bit once.

Catalogue of the Ungulate Mammals in the British Museum of Natural History, Vol IV: Artiodactyla. Richard Lydekker, 1913.

Cuvier Day Irish Elk bones and antlers Baron Cuvier began studying fossils compared to extant species while he was tutoring in Normandy in the 1790s, after his schooling (since he did not have money to wait for academic appointment). 

Cuvier Day

Irish Elk bones and antlers

Baron Cuvier began studying fossils compared to extant species while he was tutoring in Normandy in the 1790s, after his schooling (since he did not have money to wait for academic appointment). 

Cuvier Day Reindeer and roe deer stag. Cuvier classified organisms into 4 classes: Vertebrata, Articulata (arthropods & segmented worms), Mollusca (considered to be all other squishy invertebrates), and Radiata (Cniderians/Echinoderms).

Cuvier Day

Reindeer and roe deer stag.

Cuvier classified organisms into 4 classes: Vertebrata, Articulata (arthropods & segmented worms), Mollusca (considered to be all other squishy invertebrates), and Radiata (Cniderians/Echinoderms).

Not positive what exactly the sooty paca (aka the cavy, aka the guinea pig) has to do with the camelids, and the only thing the musk deer has to do with camelids is that it’s an even-toed ungulate. Zoology. Frederick Warne, mid-1800s.

Not positive what exactly the sooty paca (aka the cavy, aka the guinea pig) has to do with the camelids, and the only thing the musk deer has to do with camelids is that it’s an even-toed ungulate.

Zoology. Frederick Warne, mid-1800s.

The Axis Deer (Axis axis) is usually called the Chital these days. It lives in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India, for the most part. The “Wapiti Deer” (Cervus canadensis) is what most people know as the elk. New Illustrated Natural History of the World. Ernest Protheroe, 1910.

The Axis Deer (Axis axis) is usually called the Chital these days. It lives in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India, for the most part. The “Wapiti Deer” (Cervus canadensis) is what most people know as the elk.

New Illustrated Natural History of the World. Ernest Protheroe, 1910.

Cervus elaphus, the red deer. In a materia medica book. “Hartshorn” was ground stag antler. No true value as a medicine, but indicated in this book to be a “light and nutritious part of the diet for the sick and convalescent, but this renders it useless for medicine.” Materia Medica Animalia. Peter P. Good, 1851.

Cervus elaphus, the red deer. In a materia medica book. “Hartshorn” was ground stag antler. No true value as a medicine, but indicated in this book to be a “light and nutritious part of the diet for the sick and convalescent, but this renders it useless for medicine.”

Materia Medica Animalia. Peter P. Good, 1851.

skullandbone: fossil elk and human skeleton “Fossil elk” was the name given to the “elk” bones found in the Irish peat bogs in the 17th and 18th century. The bones are actually that of a huge species of the genus Megaloceros. They ranged throughout Eurasia, but were best-preserved in the Irish bogs, so were known as the “Irish Elk”. However, they’re more correctly known as the Giant Deer, as their closest living relatives are the fallow deer Dama genus.  Their body size was just larger than the Alaskan moose subspecies, but their antlers were significantly larger…they were actually large enough that during the season that they grew (they were shed every year, like antlers are wont to do), the deer suffered from severe osteoporosis. 

skullandbone:

fossil elk and human skeleton

“Fossil elk” was the name given to the “elk” bones found in the Irish peat bogs in the 17th and 18th century. The bones are actually that of a huge species of the genus Megaloceros. They ranged throughout Eurasia, but were best-preserved in the Irish bogs, so were known as the “Irish Elk”. However, they’re more correctly known as the Giant Deer, as their closest living relatives are the fallow deer Dama genus. 

Their body size was just larger than the Alaskan moose subspecies, but their antlers were significantly larger…they were actually large enough that during the season that they grew (they were shed every year, like antlers are wont to do), the deer suffered from severe osteoporosis. 

a-most-elusive-fish