Fallow deer is the common name for species of deer in the genus Dama of subfamily Cervinae.
Name
The name fallow is derived from the deer's pale brown colour. The
Latin language word dāma or damma, used for
roe deer,
, and
, lies at the root of the modern scientific name, as well as the
German language Damhirsch,
French language daim,
Dutch language damhert, and
Italian language daino. In Serbo-Croatian, the name for the fallow deer is
jelen lopatar ("shovel deer"), due to the form of its antlers. The
Modern Hebrew name of the fallow deer is (יחמור).
Description
The Persian fallow deer is the larger of the two living species, with an average body mass of around ,
and a shoulder height of around
[Khademi TG. A review of the biological status of persian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica), a precious and endangered animal species in Iran. J Middle East Appl Sci Technol (JMEAST), 2014(18): p. 638–42.] with the European fallow deer having an average body mass of around .
The living fallow deer species have antlers which have flattened (palmate) ends,
with the palmate section being somewhat narrower in the antlers of Persian fallow deer.
[Khademi TG. A review of the biological status of persian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica), a precious and endangered animal species in Iran. J Middle East Appl Sci Technol (JMEAST), 2014(18): p. 638–42.] During the summer months European fallow deer have a reddish pelt with white spots along the back and the sides (flank), while during the winter they have a grey pelt that lacks or has less visible spots.
[Thirgood, Simon Jeremy (1990) Variation in social systems of fallow deer. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.]
Ecology
The diet of the European fallow deer has been described as highly flexible, and able to adapt to local conditions.
In Britain, it has been observed to primarily feed on grass on summer months, and feed on acorns and other
Mast seeding during the autumn and early winter, as well as on shrubs and trees.
Taxonomy and evolution
The genus includes two extant species:
Extant species
Some taxonomists classify the Persian fallow deer as a
subspecies (
D. d. mesopotamica),
while others, such as the
IUCN, treat it as a separate species (
D. mesopotamica).
Based on genetic evidence,
Dama is considered to be closest living relative of the extinct genus
Megaloceros.
The circumscription of the genus is uncertain, with some authors choosing to include taxa that are otherwise placed in the genus
Pseudodama, which may be ancestral to
Dama.
The earliest species of Dama appeared around the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary approximately 2.6 million years ago,
Extinct species, based on van der Made et al. 2023:
-
Dama nestii known from the Early Pleistocene of Europe, also assigned to the genus Pseudodama.
-
Dama vallonnetensis known from the Early Pleistocene of Europe,
-
Dama farnetensis known from the Early Pleistocene of Europe,
-
Dama pelleponesica known from the early Middle Pleistocene of Greece, with similar remains referred to as Dama aff. pelleponesica known from the late Middle Pleistocene of Azokh Cave in Azerbaijan. Species not universally recognised as valid.
-
Dama roberti known from the early Middle Pleistocene of Europe.
-
Dama celiae known from the Middle Pleistocene of Spain
-
Dama clactoniana, known from the late Middle Pleistocene of Europe, thought to be the ancestor of the two living species.
Relationships of
Dama to other deer species based on mitochondrial DNA.
