Eld's deer
species of mammal
Eld's deer (Rucervus eldii or Panolia eldii), also known as the thamin or brow-antlered deer, is an Endangered species of deer endemic to South and Southeast Asia. It inhabits wetlands and marshlands. It is active during the day and mates from October to the end of December. Three subspecies are recognised. All three are threatened by hunting and deforestation.
Taxonomy
The species was first described by John McClelland in 1840 based on specimens obtained in Manipur, India. It was described more detailed by Percy Eld in 1841; it was suggested to call the deer Cervus Eldii. McClelland coined the scientific name Cervus (Rusa) frontals in 1843.
In 1850, John Edward Gray proposed the name Panolia eldii for the deer. It has recently been proposed that it should be moved back to the genus Panolia on the basis of recent genetic findings that place it closer to Pere David's deer than to other members of the genus Rucervus.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Eld's deer” is species of mammal. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Eld's, deer and species, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of mammal” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q646488. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1840, 1841, 1843 and 1850.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Eld's deer”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Eld's deer primary sources, Eld's deer archive and Eld's research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Eld's deer” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.