August-September 2022 • Nebraskaland 45
prominent black or dark brown patch on their lower jaws
where canines would occur. These are present in Asian deer
and are thought to emphasize their showy canine tusks
to rivals and predators. As deer and elk canine tooth size
decreased or disappeared, showy antlers developed and
increased in size.
There is still a lot of mystery surrounding canine teeth in
deer. Next time you are in the Nebraska woods and are lucky
enough to harvest a deer or fi nd a skull, examine the upper
jaw for canines. You may have an incredibly rare, 1 in 10,000,
sharp piece of prehistoric genetics piercing its way into the
present-day population.
N
Brian Peterson is a biologist at the University of Nebraska
at Kearney and coordinates the M.S Biology Online Program.
His research focus is white-tailed deer antler metrics. For more
information, contact petersonbc@unk.edu. He would like to
thank Rick Simonson of UNK Biology and Science Lab Studios,
Inc., for taking photos, Jacob Wasser of Outlaw Taxidermy, and
his client Sam Hoyt for allowing photos of his mule deer trophy.
Upper canine teeth are rare, and typically only visible once the skull is clean like this trophy Nebraska mule deer European skull mount.
RICK SIMONSON
Upper canine teeth are likely a prehistoric genetic trait.
RICK SIMONSON
