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The purpose of this study was to investigate gross findings of the obturator notch (ON) and obturator canal (OC) in Cervidae. A total of 183 pelvic girdles from 26 species of deer were examined, and the obturator canal (OC) was classified into 4 types based on the degree of separation from the obturator foramen (OF). The deep ON was observed primarily in the subfamily Capreolinae (telemetacarpal deer). The small bony OC was frequently observed in Hydropotes inermis, Mazama gouazoubira and Ozotoceros bezoarticus. A canal without a tubercle or bony bridge structure was mainly observed in the subfamily Cervinae (plesiometacarpal deer). These results suggest that the deep ONs or the OCs separated by bony structures are more common in telemetacarpal rather than plesiometacarpal deer.

DNA extracted from ancient bones of Cervidae animals was examined to identify the species and to determine the phylogenetic relationships to those from extant cervids. Abundant ancient bones were excavated from Kumsung archaeological site in Jeju Island, Korea, and were identified as Cervidae animals based on morphological features of their antlers and lower mandibles. Their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (CR) was partially sequenced and subsequently compared with those previously reported in database. The results confirmed that the ancient sequences are lineage of Cervidae. On the phylogenetic trees constructed using the sequence diversity of the CR sequences of family Cervidae, the ancient DNA sequences were found on distinct clusters. The ancient sequences were located in the subfamily Capreolinae cluster, and six ancient sequences were closely related to those of extant Korean roe deer in Jeju Island and Korean Peninsula. Consequently, the results of this study suggest that the roe ...