PBDB Taxon

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Odocoileus

Osteichthyes - Cervidae

Taxonomy

Odocoileus was named by Rafinesque (1832). It is extant.

It was assigned to Odocoileini by Hershkovitz (1982); to Odocoileini by Grubb (2000), Hassanin and Douzery (2003); to Odocoileinae by Kurten and Anderson (1980), Agnarsson and May-Collado (2008); and to Cervidae by Rafinesque (1832), Schultz and Howard (1935), Wilson (1967), Carroll (1988), Shoshani et al. (1989), Webb (1998), Cisneros (2005), Eshelman et al. (2025).

Species

Cariacus brachyceros, Cariacus laevicornis, O. brachydontus, O. brachyodontus, O. cascensis, O. cooki, O. dolichopsis, O. hemionus (syn. O. columbianus, Cariacus ensifer), O. laevicornis, O. lucasi, O. peruvianus, O. rothschildi, O. salinae, O. sellardsiae, O. sheridanus, O. virginianus, Paleoodocoileus gracilis, Paleoodocoileus salinae

Species lacking formal opinion data

O. casciensis, O. hemionus, O. hemionus, O. osceola, O. virgininianus

Entered

by J. Alroy on 2003-01-23; modified by J. Alroy on 2013-04-30

Synonyms

Odocoileus brachydontus was named by Oelrich (1953). Its type specimen is UMMP 28140, a set of teeth, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Fox Canyon, which is in a Blancan terrestrial horizon in the Rexroad Formation of Kansas.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Wheatley and Ruez (2006).
Paleoodocoileus was named by Spillmann (1931).

It was synonymized subjectively with Odocoileus by Hershkovitz (1982), Smith (1991).
Protomazama was named by Spillmann (1931).

It was synonymized subjectively with Odocoileus by Hershkovitz (1982), Smith (1991).
Cariacus was named by Lesson (1842). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Odocoileus by Smith (1991).

It was assigned to Cervidae by Lydekker (1894).
Odocoileus brachyodontus was named by Oelrich (1953). Its type specimen is U.M.M.P. No. 28140, a set of teeth (left [upper] M2-M3), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Wheatley and Ruez (2003).
Odocoileus cascensis was named by Frick (1937).

It was synonymized subjectively with Odocoileus hemionus by Kurten and Anderson (1980); it was considered a nomen nudum by Kuo and Prothero (2025).
Odocoileus cooki was named by Frick (1937). Its type specimen is H.C.-A.M.254, a mandible (left ramus with diastema, p2-m3), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was synonymized subjectively with Odocoileus virginianus by Kurten and Anderson (1980); it was considered a nomen nudum by Kuo and Prothero (2025).
Odocoileus sheridanus was named by Frick (1937). Its type specimen is F:AM 25528, a mandible (right fragment with posterior symphysis, p3 (br.), alveoli of p2 and p4), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is "Sheridan beds", Hay Springs, which is in an Irvingtonian terrestrial horizon in Nebraska.

It was synonymized subjectively with Odocoileus virginianus by Kurten and Anderson (1980); it was considered a nomen nudum by Kuo and Prothero (2025).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1832	Odocoileus Rafinesque
1842	Cariacus Lesson
1894	Cariacus Lydekker p. 79
1931	Paleoodocoileus Spillmann
1931	Protomazama Spillmann
1935	Odocoileus Schultz and Howard p. 286
1937	Odocoileus cascensis Frick
1937	Odocoileus cooki Frick
1937	Odocoileus sheridanus Frick p. 200 figs. 19A, 20
1937	Odocoileus cascensis Frick p. 201 fig. 20
1937	Odocoileus cooki Frick p. 202 fig. 20
1953	Odocoileus brachyodontus Oelrich
1953	Odocoileus brachydontus Oelrich pp. 376-377 fig. 1
1953	Odocoileus brachyodontus Oelrich p. 376
1967	Odocoileus Wilson p. 218
1980	Odocoileus Kurten and Anderson p. 310
1980	Odocoileus brachydontus Kurten and Anderson p. 310
1982	Odocoileus Hershkovitz p. 8
1988	Odocoileus Carroll
1989	Odocoileus Shoshani et al. p. 436
1998	Odocoileus Webb p. 509
2000	Odocoileus Grubb p. 302
2003	Odocoileus Hassanin and Douzery p. 212
2005	Odocoileus Cisneros p. 249
2008	Odocoileus Agnarsson and May-Collado p. 978 figs. Fig. 5
2025	Odocoileus Eshelman et al. p. 154

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
class	Osteichthyes
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()
—	Mammaliamorpha

Rank	Name	Author
—	Mammaliaformes
class	Mammalia
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
—	Eutheria	()
—	Placentalia
—	Boreoeutheria
—	Laurasiatheria
—	Scrotifera
—	Euungulata
—	Artiodactylamorpha
—	Artiodactyla	()
suborder	Ruminantia	Scopoli 1777
—	Pecora	()
superfamily	Cervoidea
family	Cervidae
—	Telemetacarpalia
tribe	Odocoileini	(Pocock 1923)
genus	Odocoileus	Rafinesque 1832

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. Odocoileus Rafinesque 1832

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†Odocoileus dolichopsis Cope 1878

Odocoileus hemionus Rafinesque 1817 [mule deer]

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Invalid names: Cariacus ensifer Cope 1889 [synonym], Odocoileus columbianus Merriam 1898 [synonym]

†Odocoileus laevicornis Cope 1896

†Odocoileus lucasi Hay 1927

†Odocoileus peruvianus Gray 1874

Odocoileus rothschildi Thomas 1902

Odocoileus rothschildi chiriquensis Allen 1910

†Odocoileus salinae Frick 1937

†Odocoileus sellardsiae Hay 1917

Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann 1780 [white-tailed deer]

†Odocoileus virginianus aplodon Slaughter and Crook 1962

Invalid names: Cariacus Lesson 1842 [synonym], Odocoileus brachydontus Oelrich 1953 [nomen dubium], Odocoileus brachyodontus Oelrich 1953 [nomen dubium], Odocoileus cascensis Frick 1937 [nomen nudum], Odocoileus cooki Frick 1937 [nomen nudum], Odocoileus sheridanus Frick 1937 [nomen nudum], Paleoodocoileus Spillmann 1931 [synonym], Protomazama Spillmann 1931 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available