Fallow deer

Fallow deer is the common name for species of deer in the genus ''Dama'' of subfamily Cervinae. There are two living species, the European fallow deer (''Dama dama''), native to Europe and Anatolia, and the Persian fallow deer (''Dama mesopotamica''), native to the Middle East. The European species has been widely introduced elsewhere.

Name

The name fallow is derived from the deer's pale brown colour. The Latin word or , used for roe deer, gazelles, and antelopes, lies at the root of the modern scientific name, as well as the German , French , Dutch ', and Italian '. In Serbo-Croatian, the name for the fallow deer is ''jelen lopatar'' ("shovel deer"), due to the form of its antlers. The Modern Hebrew name of the fallow deer is ().

Description

The Persian fallow deer is the larger of the two living species, with an average body mass of around , and a shoulder height of around Khademi TG
A review of the biological status of persian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica), a precious and endangered animal species in Iran.
J Middle East Appl Sci Technol (JMEAST), 2014(18): p. 638–42. with the European fallow deer having an average body mass of around . The living fallow deer species have antlers which have flattened (palmate) ends, with the palmate section being somewhat narrower in the antlers of Persian fallow deer.Khademi TG
A review of the biological status of persian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica), a precious and endangered animal species in Iran.
J Middle East Appl Sci Technol (JMEAST), 2014(18): p. 638–42. During the summer months European fallow deer have a reddish pelt with white spots along the back and the sides (flank), while during the winter they have a grey pelt that lacks or has less visible spots.

Ecology

The diet of the European fallow deer has been described as highly flexible, and able to adapt to local conditions. In Britain, it has been observed to primarily feed on grass on summer months, and feed on acorns and other mast during the autumn and early winter, as well as on shrubs and trees.

Taxonomy and evolution

The genus includes two extant species:

Extant species

Some taxonomists classify the Persian fallow deer as a subspecies (''D. d. mesopotamica''), while others, such as the IUCN, treat it as a separate species (''D. mesopotamica''). Based on genetic evidence, ''Dama'' is considered to be closest living relative of the extinct genus '' Megaloceros''. The circumscription of the genus is uncertain, with some authors choosing to include taxa that are otherwise placed in the genus '' Pseudodama,'' which may be ancestral to ''Dama''.

The earliest species of ''Dama'' appeared around the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary approximately 2.6 million years ago, or around the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene approximately 0.8 million years ago, depending on the species included in the genus. The relationships of most ''Dama'' species to each other and to other fossil deer are controversial, with no overall consensus on their relationships, aside the close relationship of ''D. clactoniana'' with the living ''Dama'' species. The earliest ''Dama'' species lack palmate (broad and flattened) antlers, with this trait only developing in ''D. pelleponesica, D. clactoniana'', and the two living species.

Extinct species, based on van der Made et al. 2023:

* '' Dama nestii'' known from the Early Pleistocene of Europe, also assigned to the genus ''Pseudodama''.
* '' Dama vallonnetensis'' known from the Early Pleistocene of Europe, also assigned to ''Pseudodama''.
* '' Dama farnetensis'' known from the Early Pleistocene of Europe, also assigned to ''Pseudodama''.
* '' Dama pelleponesica'' known from the early Middle Pleistocene of Greece, with similar remains referred to as ''Dama aff. pelleponesica'' known from the late Middle Pleistocene of Azokh Cave in Azerbaijan. Species not universally recognised as valid.
* '' Dama roberti'' known from the early Middle Pleistocene of Europe.
* '' Dama celiae'' known from the Middle Pleistocene of Spain
* '' Dama clactoniana,'' known from the late Middle Pleistocene of Europe, thought to be the ancestor of the two living species.
Relationships of ''Dama'' to other deer species based on mitochondrial DNA.

References

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Cervines