Dermitzakis MD, Van Der Geer AAE, Lyras GA. 2006. Paleopathological observations on a population of fossil deer from the Late Pleistocene of Crete. In: A Kalofourtis, N Papadopoulos, C Spiliopoulou, K Maravelias, A Chatziioannou (eds) Volume in honnor of Professor Andonis Koutselinis. pp.43-51. Athens.

[In Greek with English summary]

In sediments of the Late Pleistocene of Crete we find the evidence of the existence of a mammalian fauna in which deer is the dormant taxon. Fossils of this deer  have been found in many caves of Crete. In the Cave Mavro Mouri (Rethymnon) a large number of bones bave been found with an abnormal morphology: the metapodials are slender, the compapta is reduced, the articular surfaces are irregular, the nutritional foramens are wide and in many bones holes occure of varying diameter. Although in the past it was suggested that the origin of these abnormalies is due to postmortal processes, careful examination of the bones revealed that their morphology is of pathological origin. Exception to this are the holes, which were made by necrophagus beetles. The deer were suffering of an osteopenia (but not from osteoporosis) which could have been caused by a long term malnutrition. Apart from Mavro Mouri, evidence of starvation comes from Gerani cave (Rethymnon). The lack of food was the basic ecological parameter in the evolutionary changes of the Cretan deer.