Abstract
Archaeological and paleontological datasets are used in conservation to add time-depth to ecology. In central Texas, several top carnivores including prehistoric Native American hunters have been extirpated or have had their historic ranges restricted, which has resulted in pest-level white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texana) populations in some areas. Differences in body size of deer between prehistory and modernity are expected, given that a lack of predation likely has increased intraspecific competition for forage among deer, resulting in smaller body size today. In fact, modern deer from settings without harvest pressure are significantly smaller than those from harvested areas and from prehistoric deer. From a natural history perspective, this research highlights potential evolutionary causes and effects of top-predator removal on deer populations and related components of biological communities in central Texas.
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Acknowledgments
The University of North Texas Institute of Applied Science and Department of Geography, Fort Hood DPW Natural Resources Branch, and Orion Research and Management Services, Inc. supported this research. Beau Bush, Kevin Cagle, Ben Fullerton, and Scott Turrentine helped collect and process modern white-tailed deer specimens. Ernie Lundelius provided access to and guidance concerning collections at the Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory at Texas Memorial Museum. Sam Atkinson, C. Reid Ferring, Ernie Lundelius, R. Lee Lyman, Lisa Nagaoka, Ricardo Rozzi, Barney Venables, and Earl Zimmerman provided thoughtful comments on early versions of this research. R. Lee Lyman and two anonymous reviewers provided valuable comments that improved the article. Any flaws or weaknesses are attributable to the authors.
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Wolverton, S., Kennedy, J.H. & Cornelius, J.D. A Paleozoological Perspective on White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus texana) Population Density and Body Size in Central Texas. Environmental Management 39, 545–552 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0240-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0240-8