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strange or rare life on earth

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Muntjac

small deer of the genus Muntiacus.Muntjacs are the oldest known deer,appearing 15–35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France,Germanyand Poland.The present-day species are native to South Asia and can be found in Sri Lanka, Southern China,Taiwan, Japan(Boso Peninsula and Oshima Island),India and Indonesian islands. They are also found in the lower Himalayas and in Burma.Inhabiting tropical regions, the deer have no seasonal rut and mating can take place at any time of year; this behaviour is retained by populations introduced to temperate countries. Reeves's muntjac has been introduced to England, with wild deer descended from escapees from the Woburn Abbey estate around 1925.[3] Muntjacs have expanded very rapidly, and are now present in most English counties south of the M62 motorway and have also expanded their range into Wales.Males have short antlers, which can regrow, but they tend to fight for territory with their "tusks"(downward-pointing canine teeth). Muntjacs are of great interest in evolutionary studies because of their dramatic chromosome variations and the recent discovery of several new species.The Indian muntjac(Muntiacus muntjak) is the mammal with the lowest recorded chromosome number: The male has a diploid number of 7, the female only 6 chromosomes. Reeves's muntjac(Muntiacus reevesi),in comparison,has a diploid number of 46 chromosomes.

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