The Science Behind Antlers

[Rag Horn]

First I apologize if I am duplicating a previous thred I did not find a thred that covered what information I was seeking so I am creating looking for some insight.

 

Is there any articles out there or personal knowledge that explains the science behind antlers? For instance what are they made up of? What is the growth process?

 

I understand the basics such as they regrow every year and the velvet is filled with blood and protein and such but I am looking for more specific detail as to what makes up an antler. What factors specifically result in such a variety of antler shapes, density, and other characteristics about antlers? I know that genetics are a factor but I think that there is more.

 

This might be a stretch of comparison but for instance those that know can take a cross section of a tree and tell by its rings exactly what years there was plenty of water, years where there was little water, how rich the soil is with certain minerals, and other environmental facts.

Is there such evidence left behind when looking at an antler?

[IHunt2live]

Jim Heffelfinger's book "Deer of the southwest" has a chapter all about antlers pluse a lot of other good info.

[CouesWhitetail]

You can read about the antler growth cycle in coues on this page of this website:

http://www.coueswhitetail.com/coues_biology/life_stages.htm

 

Do a google search for antler growth and you can read tons of articles on the growth process.

 

and I second the recommendation for Jim H's book....deer of the southwest. do a google search for that one too and get a copy.

 

Because the antlers are shed every year, you can't really do a cross section and count annual rings like you can in a tree or a tooth. Of course in a year of good rainfall, the antler growth will be better than in a drought year, but I don't think you can take an antler from one year and determine which prior years had good rainfall/good nutrition. You can do that with an animals tooth to some degree, especially in something like female bears where you can tell the year she had young and the years she didn't.

[Rag Horn]

I understand that you might not be able to tell the year to year conditions such as you can a tree. I just used that as an example of being able to tell what happened by what is left behind. It was just a bad example for what I was trying to ask.

 

I have attached some pictures and from these pictures you can see a difference from antler to antler the pith density difference. I am interested if you can tell anything by what the pith looks like or how thick the hard wall is around it. I am interested to read what the two sections of the antler are made up of and things of that nature.

 

Thanks for the recommended readings.

[Non-Typical Solutions]

The thing that facinates me is the non-typical growth that consistently patterns the same year after year. It is almost as if there is an invisible pattern up there that the antler has to follow.....and it does......

 

Do you suppose the difference in those samples is just time???

[THOR]

i am no biologest but i think the color difference and thickness of them have to do with how old the antler is.....they will dry out and the color will change, that is why the B&C has a drying period for scoring.