U. Kierdorf et H. Kierdorf, STUDIES ON THE PARIETAL REGION OF THE CERVID SKULL III - ON THE OCCURRENCE OF AN INTERPARIETAL IN CERVUS, ANAT HISTOL, 27(3), 1998, pp. 193-196
The occurrence of an os interparietale was studied in two transparent
preparations of fetal red deer (Cervus elaphus) heads and in 14 dried
skulls of fetal to early postnatal individuals from four Cervus specie
s (C. elaphus, C. nippon, C. duvauceli and C. eldi). In 14 of the 16 s
pecimens, an interparietal was present as either a paired or single bo
ne. In only a neonate red deer and a 5-week-old sika deer this skull e
lement was missing. We therefore conclude that an os interparietale, d
eveloping from paired centres of ossification, is normally present in
Cervus species. This clearly distinguishes them from the fallow deer,
where an interparietal is missing (Kierdorf and Kierdorf, 1992b). Our
findings thus support the view that the fallow deer should be consider
ed a distinct genus Dama instead of being included within Cervus.