| Rucervus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Barasingha stag | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Tribe: | Cervini |
| Genus: | Rucervus Hodgson, 1838 |
| Type species | |
| Cervus duvaucelii (Cuvier, 1823) | |
| Species | |
Seetext | |
Rucervus is agenus ofdeer fromIndia,Nepal,Indochina, and the Chinese island ofHainan. The only extant representatives, thebarasingha or swamp deer (R. duvaucelii) andEld's deer (R. eldii), arethreatened byhabitat loss and hunting; another species,Schomburgk’s deer (R. schomburgki), wentextinct in 1938.[1] Deer species found within the genusRucervus are characterized by a specificantler structure, where the basal ramification is often supplemented with an additional small prong, and the middle tine is never present. The crown tines are inserted on the posterior side of the beam and may be bifurcated or fused into a small palmation.
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barasingha, swamp deer
| Rucervus duvaucelii (Cuvier, 1823) Three subspecies
| Northern and central India and southwestern Nepal | Size: Habitat: Diet: | VU |
| Eld's deer, brow-antlered deer, thamin
| Rucervus eldii (McClelland, 1842) Three subspecies
| South Asia and Southeast Asia | Size: Habitat: Diet: | EN |
| Schomburgk’s deer
| Rucervus schomburgki (Blyth, 1863) | Thailand | Size: Habitat: Diet: | EX |
According to the old tradition of zoological taxonomy, swamp deer originally were regarded as members of the genusCervus. Rucervus was originally proposed by Hodgson[2] as a subgenus of the genusCervus. The original definition ofRucervus was mostly based on antler shape believed to be intermediate between that of 'elaphus' and 'hippelaphus'. Hodgson[2] reported that upper canines are present only in males ofbarasingha, but the additional craniological material shows that upper canines are present in both sexes.[3]Eld's deer was regarded as another species of the genusRucervus, however, the recentgenetic evidences suggest that Eld's deer is most closely related toPère David's deer[4][5] and should be placed in its own genus,Panolia.[6][7] However, it has recently been place back intoRucervus by theAmerican Society of Mammalogists[8] despite Eld's deer is not closely related to barasingha in genetics and antler structure.[9]
The generic name derives from its resemblance to bothRusa andCervus.[10]
Rucervus is an ancient cervid lineage that—together with the genusAxis—represents the oldestevolutionary radiation of the subfamilyCervinae (plesiometacarpal deer).[4]
The fossil species ofRucervus of Europe were included in the genusArvernoceros Heintz, 1971 (the type species:Cervus ardei Croizet & Jobert, 1828) or in the genusEucladoceros, as in the case ofR. giulii. Today,Arvernoceros is regarded as asubgenus ofRucervus.[3] The European fossil forms ofRucervus are distinguished from the South Asian species by more compact crown part of the antler and by the frequent development of a small distal palmation as for instance inR. ardei andR. radulescui. South Asian fossil forms ofRucervus are represented by large-sizedR. simplicidens andR. colberti. The late Early Pleistocene of Greece has yielded the remains of a giant speciesR. gigans that rivaledIrish elkMegaloceros giganteus in size. The giantRucervus from Greece is distinguished by unusually long limbs for such a large animal, and is apparently closely related toR. simplicidens andR. colberti from the Sivaliks.[3] The Southwest-Europe endemic Mid to early Late Pleistocene genusHaploidoceros is regarded as closely allied.[11]
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