Antlers vs. Horns
Posted by Tracy on March 20, 2003
Q: I was wondering why do some female deer have antlers and some do not?
A: The deer family, Cervidae (SIR-vih-dee), includes deer, elk, caribou, and moose - be sure you don't confuse deer family members with the Pronghorn Antelope, cattle, or African antelope. Only the caribou females have antlers, no other female in the deer family does. "Why" questions are difficult, if not impossible, to answer in science but it is safe to say that they probably provide a benefit to the caribou females not needed in the other deer family females. Keep in mind though, male caribou have much larger antlers than females.
John Wiessinger ( March 21, 2003)
Filed under: Mammals