Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758

Fourvel, Jean-Baptiste, Fosse, Philippe, Fernandez, Philippe & Antoine, Pierre-Olivier, 2015, Large mammals of Fouvent-Saint-Andoche (Haute-Saône, France): a glimpse into a Late Pleistocene hyena den, Geodiversitas 37 (2), pp. 237-266 : 260

Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — NISP =30; MNI =10.

1842 sample: 3 right antlers; 1 left talus.

1989-1992 sample: 1 left M1-2; 1 right i1; 1 left i2-3; 1 right p2; 3 left p3; 1 right p4; 1 left m2; 2 left m3; 1 lower tooth fragment; 1 right humerus; 2 left humeri; 2 radii; 1 left femur; 2 femorae; 1 right tibia; 1 left tibia; 2 tibiae; 1 right metatarsal III-IV; 1 first phalanx.

DESCRIPTION

The red deer C. elaphus is represented by 30 cranial and postcranial remains which are related to 10 individuals. The dental material is attributed undoubtfully to C. elaphus . Premolar and molar size, proportion, and morphology are consistent with the descriptions of Bouchud (in Lavocat 1966) and easily distinguishable from the reindeer. In addition, their size clearly does not correspond to the roedeer and there is no interlobar column on molars as for the giant-deer. The morphometrical features, in particular on M3, do not match the descriptions of the small form Cervus simplicidens ( Guadelli 1996) . Unfortunately, with the exception of a left talus (1842.97; Fig. 9D, E ), bones are too much fragmented for any biometric analysis. However, diagnostic criteria for the red deer as described by Bouchud (in Lavocat 1966) were observed at Fouvent (e.g., the welldeveloped median gutter of the metapods). The occurrence of a red deer at Fouvent is not surprising, as this ubiquist species has been recognized in Europe from the Middle Pleistocene (e.g., Mosbach, Mauer) until recent times. It is commonly found in Late Pleistocene samples (Delpech & Guérin in Guérin & Patou-Mathis 1996; Magniez 2010).

Subfamily ODOCOILEINAE Pocock, 1923

Figures

FIG. 9.— Ungulates (other than rhinoceros) remains from Fouvent: A, B, giant deer Megaloceros giganteus Blumenbach,1799:right 1842.14 (A) and left 1842.13 (B) mandibles; C-E, red deer Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758: basal part of right antler 1842.109 (C) and ingested left talus 1842.97 (D, palmar view; E, dorsal view); F-H, horse Equus germanicus Nehring,1884:right metacarpal 1842.2 (F), first 1842.6 (G) and third H9.A.1 (H) phalanges;I-L, large bovid Bovidae:right calcaneum 1842.78 (I), first phalange G10.E/A.9 (J, dorsal view; K, lateral view) and metapodial distal portion F11.A.50 (L); M-O reindeer Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758): basal part of left antler 1842.106 (M), portion of right antler F10.B.329 (N) and right metatarsal G9.24 (O). Scale bar: 20 mm. Pictures by JBF.