Molecular Phylogeography of Odocoileus

          Multilocus genetic analysis of an interspecies hybrid zone between white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) and mule deer (O. hemionus) in Alberta suggests that reciprocal genetic introgression occurs at a low level between both species (Hughes and Carr 1993), in contrast to a similar zone in the southwestern US where there is a high degree of predominantly unidirectional gene flow (Carr et al. 1986; Ballinger et al. 1992). Intraspecific DNA sequence differences among adjacent populations of O. hemionus include some of the oldest co-existing genetic lineages in any vertebrate species (Carr and Hughes 1993). Possible explanations include paraphyly of deer subspecies, fluctuation of rates of molecular evolution, and/or extensive interspecies and inter-subspecies hybridization. Current research emphasizes reconstruction of the patterns of dispersal of maternal clones in relation to post-glacial biogeography.