Fallow deer is the common name for species ofdeer in thegenusDama of subfamilyCervinae.[3] The two living species are theEuropean fallow deer (Dama dama), native to Europe andAnatolia, and thePersian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica), native to theMiddle East. The European species has been widely introduced elsewhere.
The name fallow is derived from the deer'spale brown colour. TheLatin worddāma ordamma, used forroe deer,gazelles, andantelopes, lies at the root of the modern scientific name, as well as theGermanDamhirsch,Frenchdaim,Dutchdamhert, andItaliandaino. InSerbo-Croatian, the name for the fallow deer isjelen lopatar ("shovel deer"), due to the form of its antlers. TheModern Hebrew name of the fallow deer isyachmur (יחמור).
The Persian fallow deer is the larger of the two living species, with an average body mass around 70–140 kg (150–310 lb),[4] and a shoulder height around 80–110 cm (31–43 in)[5] with the European fallow deer having an average body mass around 35–80 kg (77–176 lb).[4] The living fallow deer species have antlers that have flattened (palmate) ends,[4] with the palmate section being somewhat narrower in the antlers of Persian fallow deer.[6] During the summer, 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.[7]
The diet of the European fallow deer has been described as highly flexible, able to adapt to local conditions.[8] In Britain, it has been observed to primarily feed on grass in summer and acorns and othermast during the autumn and early winter, as well as on shrubs and trees.[9]
Confirmed native only toTurkey, but possibly native to theItalian Peninsula, theBalkans, and the island ofRhodes inGreece; introduced fromRoman times onwards to the rest of Europe, and around the world in more recent times
Some taxonomists classify the Persian fallow deer as asubspecies (D. d. mesopotamica),[1] while others, such as theIUCN, treat it as a separate species (D. mesopotamica).[10] Based on genetic evidence,Dama is considered to be closest living relative of the extinct genusMegaloceros.[11] The circumscription of the genus is uncertain, with some authors choosing to include taxa that are otherwise placed in the genusPseudodama, which may be ancestral toDama.[4]
The earliest species ofDama appeared around the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary about 2.6 million years ago,[12] or around the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene approximately 0.8 million years ago,[13] depending on the species included in the genus. The relationships of mostDama species to each other and to other fossil deer are controversial, with no overall consensus on their relationships, aside the close relationship ofD. clactoniana with the livingDama species. The earliestDama species lack palmate (broad and flattened) antlers, with this trait only developing inD. pelleponesica, D. clactoniana, and the two living species.[4]
Extinct species, based on van der Made et al. 2023:[4]
Dama nestii known from the Early Pleistocene of Europe, also assigned to the genusPseudodama.[12]
Dama farnetensis known from the Early Pleistocene of Europe,[4] also assigned toPseudodama.[15]
Dama pelleponesica known from the early Middle Pleistocene of Greece, with similar remains referred to asDama aff. pelleponesica known from the late Middle Pleistocene ofAzokh Cave in Azerbaijan. Species not universally recognised as valid.[4]
Dama roberti known from the early Middle Pleistocene of Europe.[15]
Dama celiae known from the Middle Pleistocene of Spain[4]
Dama clactoniana, known from the late Middle Pleistocene of Europe, thought to be the ancestor of the two living species.[4]
Relationships ofDama to other deer species based on mitochondrial DNA.[16]
^Saltz, David; Rabiei, Alireza; Daujat, Julie; Baker, Karis; Noam Werner (IUCN SSC Deer SG / General Curator EAZA Deer TAG Chair, The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens (July 25, 2015)."IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Dama mesopotamica".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
^Azzarà, Beatrice; Breda, Marzia; Cirilli, Omar; Madurell-Malapeira, Joan; Ruzza, Federica; Sorbelli, Leonardo; Tancredi, Domenico; Cherin, Marco (2022). "Vigna Nuova: the first Middle Villafranchian mammal assemblage from the Valdichiana Basin, Perugia (Italy)".Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana.61 (2):223–247.doi:10.4435/BSPI.2022.12 (inactive 12 July 2025).ISSN0375-7633.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
