Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived CervidEric S. Michel 1,2, Emily B. Flinn 1, Stephen Demarais 1, Bronson K. Strickland 1, Guiming Wang 1, Chad M. Dacus 3
1Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, 2Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, 3Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
Phenotypic differences among cervid populations may be related to population-level genetics or nutrition; discerning which is difficult in the wild. This protocol describes how we designed a controlled study where nutritional variation was eliminated. We found that phenotypic variation of male white-tailed deer was more limited by nutrition than genetics.
