Story perspectives
DNA Reveals Toronto Subway Deer’s True Ancestry
10/9/2025
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Story summary
- DNA analysis shows Torontoceros hypogaeus, Toronto Subway Deer, related to mule deer and white-tailed deer, not caribou.
- Discovered in 1976, the specimen at the Royal Ontario Museum is the sole known example.
- Genetics could help identify additional fossils in museum collections.
- ROM will feature the subway deer prominently in a renovated fossil gallery, highlighting evolution.
