The Capreolinae, Odocoileinae, or the New World deer are a
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
of
deer
A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
. Alternatively, they are known as the telemetacarpal deer, due to their bone structure being different from the plesiometacarpal deer subfamily
Cervinae
The Cervinae or the Old World deer, are a subfamily of deer. Alternatively, they are known as the plesiometacarpal deer, due to having lost the parts of the second and fifth metacarpal bones closest to the foot (though retaining the parts away fr ...
. The telemetacarpal deer maintain their distal lateral
metacarpals
In human anatomy, the metacarpal bones or metacarpus, also known as the "palm bones", are the appendicular skeleton, appendicular bones that form the intermediate part of the hand between the phalanges (fingers) and the carpal bones (wrist, wris ...
, while the plesiometacarpal deer maintain only their proximal lateral metacarpals.
The Capreolinae are believed to have originated in the Middle
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
, between 7.7 and 11.5 million years ago, in
Central Asia
Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...
.
Although this subfamily is called New World deer in English, it includes
reindeer
The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, taiga, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only re ...
,
moose
The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...
, and
roe deer, all of which live in Eurasia in the Old World.
Classification
The following extant genera and species are recognized:
[Alvarez D. (2007)]
* Tribe
Capreolini
** Genus ''
Capreolus''
***
Western roe deer (''C. capreolus'')
***
Eastern roe deer (''C. pygargus'')
**Genus ''
Hydropotes''
***
Water deer
The water deer (''Hydropotes inermis'') is a small deer species native to Korea and China. Its prominent tusks, similar to those of musk deer, have led to both subspecies being colloquially named vampire deer in English-speaking areas to which t ...
(''H. inermis'')
* Tribe
Alceini
**Genus ''
Alces
''Alces'' is a genus of artiodactyl mammals, that includes the largest species of the deer family. There are two species in genus: the moose
The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces al ...
''
***
Moose or Eurasian elk (''A. alces'')
*** †
Gallic moose (''A. gallicus'')
* Tribe
Odocoileini
** Genus ''
Rangifer''
***
Caribou/reindeer (''R. tarandus'')
** Genus ''
Odocoileus''
***
Mule deer
The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer.
Unlike the related whit ...
(''O. hemionus'')
***
White-tailed deer
The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...
(''O. virginianus'')
***
Yucatan brown brocket (''O. pandora'')
*** †
American mountain deer (''O. lucasi'')
** Genus ''
Blastocerus
The marsh deer (''Blastocerus dichotomus'') is a species of deer native to South America. It is the largest living species of South American deer. This is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Blastocerus''.
Distribution
It is fo ...
''
***
Marsh deer (''B. dichotomus'')
** Genus ''
Hippocamelus''
***
Taruca (''H. antisensis'')
***
South Andean deer or huemul (''H. bisulcus'')
** Genus ''
Mazama''
***
Gray brocket (''M. gouazoubira'')
***
Northern Venezuelan brocket (''M. cita'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. gouazoubira'')
***
Ecuador brocket (''M. murelia'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. gouazoubira'')
***
Isla San Jose brocket (''M. permira'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. gouazoubira'')
***
Colombian brocket (''M. sanctaemartae'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. gouazoubira'')
***
Brazilian brocket (''M. superciliaris'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. gouazoubira'')
***
Peruvian brocket (''M. tschudii'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. gouazoubira'')
***
Rodon (''M. rondoni'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. gouazoubira'')
***
Amazonian brown brocket (''M. nemorivaga'')
***
Central American red brocket (''M. temama'')
***
Small red brocket or bororo (''M. bororo'')
***
Dwarf brocket
The dwarf brocket (''Mazama chunyi''), or chunyi, is a small species of deer native to the Andean highlands in western Bolivia and southeastern Peru, where it is found in forest and páramo. Its pelage is reddish-brown with dark grey foreparts ...
(''M. chunyi'')
***
Pygmy brocket (''M. nana'')
***
Merida brocket (''M. bricenii'')
***
Little red brocket (''M. rufina'')
***
American red brocket (''M. americana'') (This species has found to be closer to ''
Odocoileus'' than other brockets.)
[
*** Ecuador red brocket (''Mazama gualea'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. americana'')
*** Brazilian red brocket (''M. jucunda'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. americana'')
*** Yucatan brown brocket (''M. pandora'')
*** Trinidad red brocket (''M. trinitatis'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. americana'')
*** Southern red brocket (''Mazama whitelyi'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. americana'')
*** Peruvian red brocket (''Mazama zamora'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. americana'')
*** Colombian red brocket (''Mazama zetta'', considered by some authorities to be a subspecies of ''M. americana'')
** Genus '' Ozotoceros''
*** ]Pampas deer
The Pampas deer (''Ozotoceros bezoarticus'') is a species of deer that live in the grasslands of South America at low elevations.Geist, Valerius. Deer of the world their evolution, behaviour, and ecology'. Mechanicsburg, Pa: Stackpole Books, 1998 ...
(''O. bezoarticus'')
** Genus '' Pudu''
*** Southern pudu (''P. pudu'')
**Genus '' Pudella''
*** Peruvian Yungas pudu (''P. carlae'')
*** Northern pudu (''P. mephistophiles)''
Extinct genera
*†'' Agalmaceros''
*†'' Antifer''
*†''Bretzia
''Bretzia'' is an extinct genus of deer that was endemic to North America. Two species have been described.
Taxonomy and evolution
The genus ''Bretzia'' was named in 1974 by paleontologist Eric Paul Gustafson and his colleague Willis Fry. It wa ...
''
*†'' Cervalces''
** †'' C. carnutorum''
** †'' C. scotti''
** †'' C. latifrons''
*†'' Eocoileus''
*†'' Libralces''
*†'' Morenelaphus''
*†'' Pavlodaria''
*†'' Procapreolus''
*†'' Torontoceros''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q118722
Deer
Taxa named by Joshua Brookes
Mammal subfamilies