The muzzle-ring as a deep ancestral marker in deer, part 2: the gape-spot

...continued from https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/55779-the-muzzle-ring-as-a-deep-ancestral-marker-in-deer-part-1#

The muzzle-ring, described in part 1, extends on to the lower jaw in the form of a dark marking near the corner of the mouth (e.g. Rucervus eldi https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/close-up-brow-antlered-deer-is-chewing-the-food-stock-footage/186723543?adppopup=true and Cervus elaphus https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/64242548). Because this is the only part of the muzzle-ring that remains in many species of deer (particularly in females of cervine deer), it deserves a name in its own right: the gape-spot.

What emerges is the following generalisation.

No feature of colouration in deer (Cervidae) rivals the gape-spot in its consistent presence - albeit in many cases as only a faint trace - across subfamilies, genera, species, sexes, ages and individuals. At the same time, the gape-spot is consistently absent from bovids (Bovidae).

Although several species of deer (e.g. Muntiacus reevesi) lack the gape-spot, this feature can be seen in most genera and is virtually diagnostic of the family Cervidae as opposed to Bovidae.

This means that the gape-spot seems to be one of the deepest ancestral markers to be found in the colouration of ruminants.

Where the gape-spot is well-developed, it possibly forms part of buccal semets (see previous Posts). However, in many species of deer it is so faint, so small, and so individually variable that it seems to be vestigial.

Again, I have tried to standardise the illustrations below by choosing females as far as possible. However, in some cases I have included males because, in general, the gape-spot seems to be somewhat better-developed in males than in females.

ODOCOILEINES

Alces alces https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/moose-royalty-free-image/1300333648?adppopup=true and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/norway-bardu-profile-of-an-elk-in-winter-royalty-free-image/548309669?adppopup=true and https://carolondenman.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/p1190242.jpg and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/young-elk-with-head-up-royalty-free-image/1287044771?adppopup=true

Rangifer tarandus https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/reindeer-close-up-sweden-stock-footage/jft03470 and https://www.shutterstock.com/nb/video/clip-1026346898-close-slowmotion-reindeer-eating-while-watching-camera

Capreolus capreolus https://www.alamy.com/ree-close-up-roe-deer-close-up-image211577197.html and https://www.shutterstock.com/nb/image-photo/european-roe-deer-capreolus-3-years-104241920 and https://www.shutterstock.com/nb/image-photo/european-roe-deer-capreolus-3-years-104241935

Hydropotes inermis https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/mammals/chinese-water-deer and https://www.animalspot.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Chinese-Water-Deer-Female.jpg and https://www.alamy.com/chinese-water-deer-hydropotes-inermis-female-image61782239.html and https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/chinese-water-deer-gm1148247620-310039642

Odocoileus virginianus https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-close-up-head-of-whitetail-doe-side-view-102118313.html and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/profile-of-deer-royalty-free-image/150323281?adppopup=true

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-central-american-red-brocket-deer-manuel-antonio-central-pacific-costa-11715472.html

Odocoileus hemionus hemionus https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/item/89341508-female-mule-deer-face-big-ears-close

Odocoileus hemionus columbianus https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/side-profile-female-black-tailed-deer-717758929

Blastocerus dichotomus https://animalia.bio/marsh-deer and https://www.dreamstime.com/female-marsh-deer-blastocerus-dichotomus-female-marsh-deer-blastocerus-dichotomus-eating-grass-image112445694 and https://www.dreamstime.com/female-marsh-deer-blastocerus-dichotomus-closeup-looking-camera-image112445774

Ozotoceros bezoarticus https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-pampas-deer-eating-grass-image10037244 and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pampas_deer_doe_Pousada_Embiara.jpg and male: https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/493604/view/pampas-deer-in-a-meadow

Hippocamelus bisulcus https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/guemal-hippocamelus-bisulcus-in-deep-snow-on-a-mountain-side-in-winter-in-torres-del-gm947670896-258749642 and https://business.facebook.com/fundacionrewildingchile/photos/pcb.3025965137635511/3025964957635529/?type=3&theater and https://business.facebook.com/fundacionrewildingchile/photos/pcb.3025965137635511/3025964964302195/?type=3&theater

Mazama gouazoubira https://www.zootierliste.de/en/?klasse=1&ordnung=121&familie=12109&art=1160417 and https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-red-brocket-deer-mazama-americana-pantanal-wetlands-southwestern-brazil-43936664.html and https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-red-brocket-deer-mazama-americana-caatinga-brazil-125321641.html

Mazama pandora https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-male-Yucatan-brown-brocket-deer-Photo-by-M-Weber_fig3_234028918

Mazama americana https://www.naturepl.com/stock-photo-red-brocket-deer-mazama-americana--captive-in-santa-fe-zoological-image01535491.html and https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-red-brocket-deer-mazama-americana-pantanal-wetlands-southwestern-brazil-43936657.html and https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-red-brocket-deer-mazama-americana-pantanal-wetlands-southwestern-brazil-43936651.html and https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mazama_americana/pictures/collections/contributors/beth_lauder/brocket_deer1/ and https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-lesser-antilles-barbados-parish-saint-michael-west-indies-capital-111691863.html

Mazama rufina? https://www.shutterstock.com/nb/image-photo/northern-pudu-mephistophiles-ecuador-smallest-species-1837949755 and https://www.shutterstock.com/nb/image-photo/northern-pudu-mephistophiles-ecuador-smallest-species-1837949761

Pudu puda https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-pudu-pudu-pudu-pudu-puda-female-portrait-found-in-south-america-captive-51013860.html and https://www.alamy.com/chilean-pudu-image9175231.html

CERVINES

Cervus canadensis https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/lady-elk-in-the-sun-royalty-free-image/1129958471?adppopup=true and https://www.shutterstock.com/nb/video/clip-1042086229-close-altai-maral-wapiti-deer-on-sunny-day

Cervus elaphus https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/deer-in-flower-stock-footage/472483201?adppopup=true and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/side-view-of-a-doe-on-field-royalty-free-image/1205792600?adppopup=true

Cervus nippon https://unsplash.com/photos/WOZUO_D5zRs and https://www.dreamstime.com/sika-deer-stag-hind-calf-portrait-long-grass-sika-deer-stag-hind-calf-harem-close-up-portrait-long-grass-image103071681 and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/deer-is-turning-back-slow-motion-shot-stock-footage/1293404811?adppopup=true

Cervus albirostris https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/details-photo/thorold-s-white-lipped-deer-female-showing-heavy-neck-mane-cervus-albirostris/MEV-10853494 and male: https://www.shutterstock.com/nb/image-photo/profile-thorolds-deer-cervus-albirostris-1491267845

Rusa unicolor https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-sambar-deer-side-view-head-india-92758656.html and https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-sambar-deer-cervus-unicolor-in-bandipur-national-park-india-86543727.html

Rusa timoriensis https://www.alamy.com/javan-rusa-or-sunda-sambar-rusa-timorensis-russa-image260896269.html and https://www.alamy.com/sunda-sambar-deer-rusa-timorensis-chewing-its-cud-handeuleum-island-image68824929.html and male: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-adult-buck-timor-rusa-deer-cervus-timorensis-in-velvet-on-rinca-island-128440566.html and https://www.alamy.com/javan-rusa-or-sunda-sambar-rusa-timorensis-russa-image260896143.html and https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-komodo-deer-in-close-up-57053097.html

Rusa alfredi https://depositphotos.com/345232188/stock-photo-close-up-of-a-visayan.html

Rucervus eldi https://www.everypixel.com/q/deer-female?image_id=907206528684037280 and https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=deer+head+side&asset_id=353099905 and https://www.shutterstock.com/nb/image-photo/beautiful-sambar-deer-rusa-unicolor-jungle-1969467697?irclickid=xABUceQmnxyOWXNwUx0Mo3kTUkBTzuWBtyBzXo0&irgwc=1&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=Amarelo+s.r.o.&utm_source=95937&utm_term=&c3ch=Affiliate&c3nid=IR-95937 and https://www.stockfreeimages.com/13957728/Deer.html and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/happy-boy-stretches-out-his-hand-and-feeds-a-food-deer-stock-footage/1201983149?adppopup=true and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/close-up-brow-antlered-deer-is-chewing-the-food-stock-footage/186723538?adppopup=true and https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-young-swamp-deer-rucervus-duvaucelii-215022199

Rucervus duvaucelii https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-barasingha-rucervus-duvaucelii-large-wild-meadow-image66955790 and https://www.alamy.com/barasingha-deer-rucervus-duvaucelii-cervus-duvaucelii-at-a-zoo-in-bavaria-germany-europe-image278876889.html and https://rcannon993.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/barasingha-or-swamp-deer-rucervus-duvaucelii-syn-cervus-duvaucelii-female-with-jungle-mynas.jpg

Dama dama https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/details-photo/fallow-deer-dama-dama-portrait-female-captive-bavaria-germany/IBK-4023171/1 and https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/details-photo/dama-dama-fallow-deer/ZON-5539188/1 and https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/details-photo/damwild/ESY-022614171/1 and https://www.alamy.com/fallow-deer-backlit-up-close-image385132688.html and https://www.stockfreeimages.com/15102861/Side-profile-shot-of-a-doe-fallow-deer.html and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/fallow-deer-waiting-to-be-feed-royalty-free-image/1219863890?adppopup=true

Elaphurus davidianus https://www.alamy.com/milu-helsinki-image430447599.html and https://www.alamy.com/pere-david-deer-image9987263.html

Axis axis https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/deer-india-stock-video-footage/1317940880?adppopup=true and https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/spotted-deer-watching-around-and-turn-to-look-at-the-stock-footage/1287545670?adppopup=true and male: https://www.123rf.com/photo_45046219_deer-s-face.html

Hyelaphus porcinus https://www.flickr.com/photos/cirdan-travels/25330806054 and male: https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/head-of-leader-of-deer-looking-at-camera-stock-footage/1186336544?adppopup=true

Hyelaphus kuhlii https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bawean_deer_close.jpg and http://shutterstock.puzzlepix.hu/kep/1878447718 and http://shutterstock.puzzlepix.hu/kep/1878447715

Muntiacus muntjak https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/portrait-of-muntjac-close-up-full-body-gm698123956-129343601 and https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-muntjac-deer-1035038680 and https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/indian-muntjac.491032/ and https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/indian-muntjac.491032/

Muntiacus reevesi https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/the-tusk-and-eye-scent-gland-of-a-muntjac-also-royalty-free-image/497331605?adppopup=true and https://depositphotos.com/465079932/stock-photo-magnificent-female-muntjac-deer-muntiacus.html and https://depositphotos.com/313596300/stock-photo-profile-muntjacs-portrait.html and https://www.alamy.com/also-called-muntjacs-barking-deer-or-mastreani-deer-are-small-deer-native-to-south-and-southeast-asia-image329808000.html and https://www.alamy.com/reeves-muntjac-muntiacus-reevesi-image437603028.html and https://www.alamy.com/reevess-muntjac-muntiacus-reevesi-close-up-of-adult-female-head-eccles-on-sea-norfolk-uk-december-image414848488.html and https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-chinese-muntjac-reeves-muntjac-muntiacus-reevesi-portrait-47922707.html

Muntiacus feae https://depositphotos.com/109219124/stock-photo-fea-muntjac-tenasserim-muntjac-muntiacus.html

Elaphodus cephalophus https://www.alamy.com/close-up-of-the-head-of-a-female-chinese-tufted-deer-laphodus-cephalophus-image154264537.html

הועלה ב-אוגוסט 28, 2021 09:07 אחה"צ על ידי milewski