Where do we find the world’s smallest deer?
In Myanmar: “ScienceDaily (July 6, 1999) — An adult deer measuring just 20 inches at the shoulder and weighing no more than 25 pounds has been confirmed through DNA testing as a new species, making it the world’s smallest deer, according to a recent study led by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The “leaf deer” or “leaf muntjac,” which lives in remote mountain regions of Southeast Asia, was first seen by WCS biologist Alan Rabinowitz in 1997 during field surveys in northern Myanmar (Burma). After obtaining specimens from local hunters, Rabinowitz brought samples to New York for DNA analysis. The results of the genetic work, published in the recent issue of the journal Animal Conservation, confirmed the leaf deer as unique. “Through DNA sequencing, we were able to determine that this particular species of mutjac was clearly distinct,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. George Amato, director for conservation genetics for WCS.
