The deer of the island of Lampedusa (Pelagian Archipelago, Italy): literary references and osteological evidence

Abstract

During the nineteenth century, scientific literature and official reports recorded the occurrence of a population of red deer, Cervus elaphus, on the island of Lampedusa (Pelagian Archipelago, Italy). Osteological specimens collected by the zoologist Enrico Hillier Giglioli towards the end of the century confirmed these references. Since cervids are not found among the fossil fauna of the island, the red deer must have been introduced by man although we do not yet know precisely when. The former existence of the species on Lampedusa is discussed by comparison of literary material and bone evidence. The population's probable origins and its taxonomic relationships with other Mediterranean red deer populations are also analysed.