Shiras elk

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Shiras elk
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene—Holocene
Moose at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge (49318075258).jpg
A bull elk at the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: Capreolinae
Genus: Alces
Species:
A. alces
Subspecies:
A. a. shirasi
Trinomial name
Alces alces shirasi
(Nelson, 1914)
Synonyms

Alces americanus shirasi

The Shiras elk (Alces alces shirasi), Wyoming elk, Wyoming moose or Yellowstone moose is the southernmost subspecies of elk in North America.

Contents

Taxonomy

Edward William Nelson proposed the scientific name Alces americanus shirasi for an elk from Snake River, Wyoming, in 1914. He named this subspecies after George Shiras III, who is credited for the discovery of this elk subspecies. [1]

Elk are sometimes divided into two species: the American elk and the European elk. In this taxonomy, Shiras elk are classified into the former species, much like Nelson's classification. [2]

Evolution

Deer are divided into two subfamilies: the Cervinae and the Capreolinae, whose lineages split at least 13.8 million years ago. [3] Elk fall into the latter group, which includes reindeer and roe deer as well.

Elk are the only extant members of the Alceini. This group includes the extinct Cervalces latifrons, the ancestor of modern elk. [4] Elk, an Old World-derived species, crossed the Bering land bridge approximately 14,000 years ago. [5]

Description

This subspecies is the smallest elk subspecies, averaging 600–700 lbs. [6] This is in accordance with Bergmann's rule, which predicts larger organisms are found throughout more colder regions. [7] The fur colour of Shiras elk is usually deep brown whilst their lower legs are light grey. [8]

Distribution and habitat

Shiras elk are the most southerly distributed of the North American elk. This subspecies is found across the northern Rocky Mountains.

Several records of elk have existed in Colorado: Milton Estes documented shooting an elk amongst a wapiti herd in 1863 at Estes Park. [9] Elk fossils have been found in Jurgens Site and Mesa Verde National Park. [10] Whilst elk have roamed Colorado, they never established a breeding population in that state. In 1978, 24 elk from Utah and Wyoming were reintroduced to Colorado. [11]

References

  1. ↑ Nelson, Edward William. "Description of a new subspecies of moose from Wyoming". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 27 (1). Biological Society of Washington: 73–75.
  2. ↑ Rostal, Melinda K.; Evans, Alina L.; Solberg, Erling J.; Arnemo, Jon M. (July 2012). "Hematology and Serum Chemistry Reference Ranges of Free-ranging Moose (Alces alces) in Norway" . Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 48 (3): 548–559. doi:10.7589/0090-3558-48.3.548. ISSN   0090-3558. PMID   22740520.
  3. ↑ Mennecart, Bastien; DeMiguel, Daniel; Bibi, Faysal; Rössner, Gertrud E.; Métais, Grégoire; Neenan, James M.; Wang, Shiqi; Schulz, Georg; Müller, Bert; Costeur, Loïc (2017-10-13). "Bony labyrinth morphology clarifies the origin and evolution of deer". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 13176. Bibcode:2017NatSR...713176M. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-12848-9. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   5640792 . PMID   29030580.
  4. ↑ Meiri, Meirav; Lister, Adrian; Kosintsev, Pavel; Zazula, Grant; Barnes, Ian (October 2020). "Population dynamics and range shifts of moose ( Alces alces ) during the Late Quaternary". Journal of Biogeography. 47 (10): 2223–2234. doi:10.1111/jbi.13935. ISSN   0305-0270.
  5. ↑ Groves, P.; Mann, D.H.; Kunz, M.L. (November 2022). "Prehistoric perspectives can help interpret the present: 14 000 years of moose (Alces alces) in the Western Arctic". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 100 (11): 732–746. doi: 10.1139/cjz-2022-0079 . ISSN   0008-4301.
  6. ↑ "Viewing Plant Systematics through a Lens of Plant Compensatory Growth". bioone.org. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  7. ↑ Lattuga, Danielle (2020-05-24). "How Do Montana's Moose Measure Up? 'Field Notes' Investigates". Montana Public Radio. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  8. ↑ Spomer, Ron (August 2005). Big Game Hunter's Guide to Montana. Wilderness Adventures Press. ISBN   978-1-932098-32-7.
  9. ↑ Miller, Michael (2025-08-11). "Invasive moose in Colorado? Not so fast, expert says". UC News. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  10. ↑ "Moose are on the loose | Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine | University of Colorado Boulder". www.colorado.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  11. ↑ Phillips, Kate (2024-10-23). "Colorado's moose boom leaves an impact". The Sopris Sun. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
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