Healed antler fracture from a giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus) from the Pleistocene in Poland

Pawłowska, Kamilla; Stefaniak, Krzysztof; Nowakowski, Dariusz

doi:10.26879/448

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…3H). Pawłowska et al 2014) found in a Megaloceros antler evidence for Volkmann's canals after vascularisation loss as we did in Muntiacus (Online Resource 37). Hence, the evidence found by Azanza and Ginsburg (1997) is not in contradiction to the antler cycle in living deer, but rather shows correspondence.…”

Section: Consideration Of Previous Studiessupporting

confidence: 75%

Antiquity and fundamental processes of the antler cycle in Cervidae (Mammalia)

Rößner

Costeur

Scheyer

2020

Sci Nat

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The origins of the regenerative nature of antlers, being branched and deciduous apophyseal appendages of frontal bones of cervid artiodactyls, have long been associated with permanent evolutionary precursors. In this study, we provide novel insight into growth modes of evolutionary early antlers. We analysed a total of 34 early antlers affiliated to ten species, including the oldest known, dating from the early and middle Miocene (approx. 18 to 12 million years old) of Europe. Our findings provide empirical data from the fossil record to demonstrate that growth patterns and a regular cycle of necrosis, abscission and regeneration are consistent with data from modern antlers. The diverse histological analyses indicate that primary processes and mechanisms of the modern antler cycle were not gradually acquired during evolution, but were fundamental from the earliest record of antler evolution and, hence, explanations why deer shed antlers have to be rooted in basic histogenetic mechanisms. The previous interpretation that proximal circular protuberances, burrs, are the categorical traits for ephemerality is refuted.

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Section: Consideration Of Previous Studiessupporting

confidence: 75%

Antiquity and fundamental processes of the antler cycle in Cervidae (Mammalia)

Rößner

Costeur

Scheyer

2020

Sci Nat

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“…Accidents are inevitable in the life of a deer and, in case of the suffered damage not leading to the breakage of the growing beam and consequent loss of its distal part, the antler may continue its growth although, in case of a severe lesion, at a crooked angle 45 . Thus, if the antler was just cracked and the broken part was held together by the velvet and periosteum, with the blood supply still being guaranteed, the damaged beam would just present a conspicuous swelling around the area of fracture (i.e., a fracture callus) 45 , 50 and a change in the axis of orientation. These features match those seen in the left beam of 337655, which shows a fracture callus between the basal and middle tines corresponding to a change in the orientation of the beam.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Pleistocene Fight Club revealed by the palaeobiological study of the Dama-like deer record from Pantalla (Italy)

Cherin

Breda

Esattore

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Here, we report on the exceptionally well-preserved deer record from the locality of Pantalla (central Italy), dated in the Early Pleistocene (ca. 2.1–2.0 million years ago). The fossils show a combination of characters that allows an unambiguous attribution to ‘Pseudodama’ nestii, of which they represent one of the most informative collections to date. Our comparisons—also conducted through CT-based methods on endocranial structures—reveal that the cranial and postcranial skeleton of ‘P.’ nestii displays a mosaic of intermediate characters between extant Dama and Cervus, but also that the affinities with Dama are prevalent. Some Cervus-like features especially in cranial morphology, can be interpreted as plesiomorphic characters supporting a basal position of ‘Pseudodama’ among the Cervini. Interestingly, three bone anomalies are described in the two male crania of ‘P.’ nestii from Pantalla and are interpreted as palaeotraumatological evidence resulting from different injuries suffered by the deer during their life. This allows opening a treasure trove of information on paleobiological aspects, including ontogeny and antler cycle and function.

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“…Pawłowska et al [40] reported a healed antler fracture in giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus Blumenbach, 1799) from the proximity of Barycz, Poland dated to 40,000 BP. That right antler features a downward bend above the burr and a bony outgrowth is visible just above the brow tine in the posterior part of the bend.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Impact on Antler Conformation in Western Red Deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758)

Bartosiewicz

2021

Heritage

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A stray find of red deer antler from Sweden with the braincase was collected due to an apparently pathological deformation, the strongly retarded right antler. Measurements of the complete left antler inspired the analysis of general antler conformation in order to place this archaeological specimen in a zoological context. This stray find and another prehistoric antler from Sweden as well as three complete prehistoric antlers from Hungary were metrically compared using measurements of over 17,000 trophies of extant red deer from Hungary. The results confirmed that the stray specimen from Sweden and prehistoric antlers from Hungary were similar in that they were stouter (smaller length measurements but greater circumferences) than their 20th century counterparts. Most of their measurements fell within the ±1 standard deviation interval of the means of extant trophies. The pathological lesion on the studied stray specimen directed attention to the role of human selection. Twentieth century record trophies show a significant increase in antler weight and “quality” as defined in the international trophy grading system. While these morphometric observations cannot be taken as a proxy for absolute dating or precise contextual identification for the stray find central to this study, its size and apparent lack of consistent human selection (pathological deformation, “archaic” antler proportions) point to possibly early origins, prior to major human influence.

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Healed antler fracture from a giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus) from the Pleistocene in Poland

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

Antiquity and fundamental processes of the antler cycle in Cervidae (Mammalia)

Antiquity and fundamental processes of the antler cycle in Cervidae (Mammalia)

A Pleistocene Fight Club revealed by the palaeobiological study of the Dama-like deer record from Pantalla (Italy)

Human Impact on Antler Conformation in Western Red Deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758)

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