Review of Scientific Literature on
ELK VELVET ANTLER2. What is Velvet
Antler?
The name "antler" comes from the Latin word
"anteoculae" meaning "in front of the eyes". Antlers are appendages of
the skull, created from a thick bony core and upheld on permanent skin covered pedicles
(protuberance of the frontal bone). The creation of antlers by males is observed after
pedicle development from the periosteum of the frontal bones of almost all members of the
deer family Cervidae (Goss 1983).
Unlike horns in cattle, antlers are cast off every year.
Deer or cervids such as caribou, wapiti and moose grow antlers while cattle or bovids
including mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bison and pronghorn antelope possess horns. With
the exception of reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus), only the males grow
antlers.
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