closest living relative to deer?

Answer 1

Depends on what you are refering to as 'deer'.

If you are refering specifically to the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), then it's closest living relative is the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).

If you are refering to those two together, then there are sixteen other species of deer in eight genera within the Subfamily Capreolinae, all of which are within the deer family - including moose, caribou/reindeer, marsh deer, roe deer, brocket deer, guemals, Pampas deer, and pudus. The closest relatives among these to the white-tailed and mule deer would probably be the Pampas deer (Ozotoceros) of South America.

If you are refering to all of the members of the Capreolinae together as the 'deer', then the closest relatives would be the members of the Cervinae subfamily, which includes the elk/wapiti, red deer, axis deer, sika deer, fallow deer, Pere David's deer and others. Note that you could also consider the members of this subfamily the 'true deer' (and many do), and in this case the closest relatives to the 'deer' would be the Capreoline deer.

If you were to consider those two subfamilies as the 'deer', then the closest relatives would be the two other subfamilies in the Cervidae, namely Hydropotinae (water deer) and Muntiacinae (muntjacs).

If you consider all of the members of the Cervidae to be the 'deer', then the closest relative to the deer would be the musk deer (Moschidae) of China, which look like bizarre, antlerless sabre-toothed deer.

Some workers include the musk deer in the Cervid family however, in which case the closest relatives to the deer family would be the Family Bovidae (which includes antelopes, cattle, gazelles, goats, sheep and a few others).

So it all depends on what exactly you mean by 'deer'.

Answer 2

Those who answered moose, elk, or caribou are correct, in a sense. These are the closest relatives of the species we commonly call "deer". But in fact, these may be a little too close. Moose, and elk (same thing as caribou) actually ARE deer. That is, they are members of the deer family. The closest relatives to the deer family that are not actually deer are pronghorns, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep.

Answer 3

A deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. A number of broadly similar animals, from related families within the order Artiodactyla, are often also called deer.

You could get more information from the link below...

Answer 4

Elks,moose,antelopes,red deers,fallow deer,roe deer.

Answer 5

The closest that I live is two hours from the mountains!

Answer 6

Wow, now there's something I've never thought of,, but I'd have to say a Goat maybe ? Antelopes ? Gazelles ?

Answer 7

A moose?

Answer 8

gotta be a moose

Answer 9

I would say an elk.

Answer 10

antelopes or caribous, i am not sure. probably the antelopes