How did mule deer likely arise through hybridization?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
deer
Male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).
The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is a distinct species of deer native to western North America. While it is classified as the same species as the black-tailed deer, genetic evidence suggests that the mule deer is a relatively recent evolutionary development.1
The theory of its origin through hybridization is supported by an analysis of mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited exclusively through the maternal line. Research indicates that the mule deer's mitochondrial DNA closely matches that of the white-tailed deer rather than the more ancestral black-tailed deer. Consequently, scientists believe the mule deer likely arose from the hybridization of female white-tailed deer and male black-tailed deer.1