The phylogenetic position of the ‘giant deer’ Megaloceros giganteus

A.M. Lister; C.J. Edwards; D.A.W. Nock; M. Bunce; I.A. van Pijlen; D.G. Bradley; M.G. Thomas; I. Barnes

doi:10.1038/nature04134

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The phylogenetic position of the ‘giant deer’ Megaloceros giganteus

Journal article

Peer reviewed

The phylogenetic position of the ‘giant deer’ Megaloceros giganteus

A.M. Lister, C.J. Edwards, D.A.W. Nock, M. Bunce, I.A. van Pijlen, D.G. Bradley, M.G. Thomas and I. Barnes

Nature, Vol.438(7069), pp.850-853

2005

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04134

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Abstract

The giant deer, or 'Irish elk', has featured extensively in debates on adaptation, sexual selection, and extinction. Its huge antlers - the largest of any deer species, living or extinct - formed a focus of much past work 1-4. Yet the phylogenetic position of the giant deer has remained an enigma. On the basis of its flattened antlers, the species was previously regarded as closely related to the living fallow deer5-7. Recent morphological studies8, however, have challenged that view and placed the giant deer closer to the liying red deer or wapiti. Here we present a new phylogenetic analysis encompassing morphological and DNA sequence evidence, and find that both sets of data independently support a sister-group relationship of giant and fallow deer. Our results include the successful extraction and sequencing of DNA from this extinct species, and highlight the value of a joint molecular and morphological approach.

Details

Title: The phylogenetic position of the ‘giant deer’ Megaloceros giganteus
Authors/Creators: A.M. Lister (Author/Creator) - University College London
C.J. Edwards (Author/Creator) - Trinity College Dublin
D.A.W. Nock (Author/Creator) - University College London
M. Bunce (Author/Creator) - University of Oxford
I.A. van Pijlen (Author/Creator) - University College London
D.G. Bradley (Author/Creator) - Trinity College Dublin
M.G. Thomas (Author/Creator) - University College London
I. Barnes (Author/Creator) - University College London
Publication Details: Nature, Vol.438(7069), pp.850-853
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Identifiers: 991005544463907891
Copyright: © 2005 Nature Publishing Group
Murdoch Affiliation: Murdoch University
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 8 Earth Sciences; 8.93 Archaeology; 8.93.805 Mammalia
Web Of Science research areas: Evolutionary Biology
ESI research areas: Multidisciplinary