Cranial morphometry of Pacific Coast elk (Cervus elaphus)
Schoenwald-Cox CM, Bayless JW, Schonewald J. 1985. Cranial morphometry of Pacific Coast elk (Cervus elaphus). Journal of Mammalogy. 66(1):63-74
From the Abstract: "Geographical variation of 16 cranial measurements for 95 specimens was compared with subspecific taxonomy for populations of Pacific Coast elk, Cervus elaphus roosevlti and C. E. nannodes. Principal Component Analysis showed that Roosevelt elk in northern California differed as much from those in Washington as they did from Tule elk in California.... Implications for systematics and biogeography and their bearing on the conservation of Pacific Coast Cervus elaphus are discussed." One of the reasons for creating Olympic National Park, WA was to preserve the habitat of Cervus elaphus roosevelti. Compared skull (cranium) sizes/shapes from elk on Vancouver Island, in Washington, Oregon and northern California. Looked for differences between the Roosevelt and Tule elk. Some specimens were from Point Reyes National Seashore.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Schoenwald-Cox, Christine; Bayless, Jonathan; Schonewald, Jacqueline
- Units
- OLYM , PORE
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, geographical variation, Morphology, Olympic National Park, Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti), Systematics, Tule Elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes)