What skulls do caribou and elk have in common

Answer 1

Hi Kate,

Elk and Caribou, along with White-tailed deer all belong in the same family Cervidae. Thus, they essentially all have the same bones making up the their skulls. Of course the individual bones between species may appear slightly different (longer, larger, shorter, etc.). You can use the white-tailed deer as your default to understand the bones found in the skull, as its more available in osteology labs or high school labs. For example:

https://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/White-tailed-Deer-Skull-Diagram-and-Labeling

One major difference between Elk and Caribou is that female Caribou do seasonally grow antlers, like the male, and then shed them. While Elk females do not.

Hope this helps!