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The Cervinae are almost entirely restricted to Eurasia, in direct contrast
to the primarily New World Capreolinae. Indeed, only only one member
of this subfamily, the highly-adaptable red deer or wapiti (Cervus
elaphus) can be found outside of Eurasia, with subspecies found in both
North America and on the coast of north Africa. Cervine deer are adapted
to a wide range of lowland habitats, including forests, swampland, floodplains,
and grasslands. Excluded from higher altitudes by goats and sheep
(Caprinae), only a few members of the Cervinae
are found in high-elevation or mountainous regions.
Southern Asia was the center of evolution for this subfamily, and the Cervinae
remain one of the most dominant ungulate groups in Eurasia. Early
deer arose in the tropics, and the fossil record demonstrates repeated radiations
from tropical climates into more northerly territories during the Pleistocene.
Today, the tropics retain the majority of cervine diversity, although
several cold-adapted species have become highly successful.
Two tribes are recognized:
-
Cervini - "true" deer
-
Muntiacini - muntjacs
These two tribes are remarkably different in gross morphology, displaying
two distinct body plans. Muntjacs are often seen as the most primitive
of deer, resembling the ancestral stock from which the rest of the Cervinae
AND the Capreolinae evolved. However, genetic evidence has displaced
this theory; it is now thought that many of the "primitive" characters of
muntjacs have been secondarily acquired. Muntjacs are small in size
(from less than 10 kg to 40 kg) and have a "creeping" form well-suited
for forest life. The antlers of muntjacs are short, but seemingly to
compensate for this, the upper canines grow into tusks (similar to the
Moschidae and
Tragulidae). On the other hand, the Cervini
are generally larger in size and have significantly larger antlers. The
upper canines, while present in some species, are always small.
The taxonomy of this subfamily has undergone some significant
changes in the past few decades. The tribe Muntiacini was formerly
considered to be a separate subfamily (the Muntiacinae), but is now included
within the Cervinae. Also of note is the description of several new
muntjacs (Muntiacus sp.) from southeastern Asia, raising the number
of species in this genus from as few as five recognized species (in
1990) to eleven. Unlike many "new" species, which are created by splitting
two previously known subspecies into unique species, many of these muntjacs
have only recently been discovered by western science. Within the Cervini,
the number of species has remained relatively constant, but the
traditional genus Cervus has been divided into four different
genera (each formerly being a subgenus).
The plesiometacarpal foot structure is a diagnostic feature of this group,
with the second and fifth metapodials being reduced to proximal splinters
of bone adjacent to the 'wrists'. Tarsal glands are always absent.
Unlike the new World deer (Capreolinae), the
antlers begin growing immediately after the last pair is shed. |
