Deer Antlers : Regeneration, Function and Evolution
This is a book about one of nature's most remarkable accomplishments. When deer grow antlers they are actually regenerating anatomically complex appendages - something that no other mammal can do. The rate at which antler elongate makes them the fastest growing structures in the animal kingdom. Profoundly affected by male hormones, these secondary sex characters grow into massive tumors if the deer possessing them is castrated. These and other unique characteristics have made antlers the focus of extensive scientific research that addresses some provocative questions: From what tissues do antl
1 online resource (333 pages).
9780323140430, 0323140432
1058622586
Front Cover; Deer Antlers: Regeneration, Function, and Evolution; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Dedication; Preface; Chapter 1. Introduction; Text; General References; Chapter 2. The Diversity of Deer; Fallow Deer; Red Deer; Sika Deer; Sambar; Barasingha, or Swamp Deer; Eld's Deer, or Thamin; Schomburgk's Deer; Rusa Deer; Hog Deer; Axis Deer, or Chital; Père David's Deer, or Mi-lu; Muntjac; Tufted Deer; Musk Deer; Chinese Water Deer; Roe Deer; Wapiti, or American Elk; Moose; Reindeer and Caribou; White-Tailed, Black-Tailed, and Mule Deer; Brockets; Pampas Deer; Marsh Deer; Huemul; Pudu. Cervid ClassificationReferences; Chapter 3. Horns and Tusks; How Horns Grow; The Improbable Pronghorn; The Histogenesis of Horns; Tusks; References; Chapter 4. The Evolution of Deer; Fur-Covered Horns; Nondeciduous ""Antlers""; The Earliest Antlers; The World's Largest Deer; Continent without Deer; Deer in the Americas; Recapitulation; References; Chapter 5. The Social Significance of Antlers; Rutting Behavior; Phylogeny of Function; Why the Velvet Is Shed; Theories of Antler Casting; Ultimate Explanations; References; Chapter 6. A Fawn's First Antlers; Pedicle Development. Antlerogenic TransformationFawns versus Yearlings; Photoperiod and Hormones; Histogenesis; References; Chapter 7. Developmental Anatomy of Antlers; Antler Casting; Histogenesis; Wound Healing; The Nature of Velvet; Zones of Differentiation; Chondrification; Ossification; Systemic Effects of Antler Ossification; Vascularization; Innervation; References; Chapter 8. Regeneration; Modes of Growth; The Spectrum of Regeneration; Mechanism of Blastema Production; Epimorphic Regeneration in Mammals; Strategy and Prospects; References; Chapter 9. Abnormal Antlers; Genetic Effects; Systemic Influences. Injuries in VelvetPedicle Wounds; Do Nerves Affect Antler Development?; Nonexistent Mistakes; Horn Abnormalities; References; Chapter 10. The Case of the Asymmetric Antlers; The Prevalence of Asymmetry; Is Asymmetry Genetic?; The Brow Tine Mystery; References; Chapter 11. Light and Latitude; Reversed Seasons; Frequency Changes; The Role of Latitude; The Tropical Paradox; Circannual Rhythms; References; Chapter 12. Internal Influences; Testosterone; Estrogen; Progesterone; Pituitary Hormones; Adrenal Steroids; Thyroid Hormone; The Effects of Pinealectomy; Nutrition versus Genetics; References. Chapter 13. CastrationMethods and Degrees of Emasculation; The Castrate Antler; The Antleroma: A Model for Tumor Growth?; Antlers and Cancer; References; Chapter 14. Antlered Does and Antierless Bucks; Reindeer and Caribou; Incidence of Female Antlers; The Fertility of Antlered Does; Experimental Induction of Female Antlers; The Absence of Antlers in Males; References; Chapter 15. Medicinal Uses of Antlers; Historical; The Antler Business; Harvesting and Preparation; Prescriptions; Scientific Investigations; Ethical Pros and Cons; References; Index