Indian muntjac species to actually have antlers. Ancestor to muntjacs is the "Dicrocerus elegans" which is the oldest known deer to shed antlers. Other fossils found that deer species experienced a split of the Cervinae from the Muntiacinae, the latter of which remained of similar morphology. Muntjacs of this time during the Miocene were smaller than their modern counterparts. Molecular data has suggested that Indian and Fea’s muntjac share a common ancestor while giant muntjac are more closely related to Reeve’s muntjac. Although the muntjac deer has a long lineage, little has been studied in terms of their fossil record. The female
Reeves's muntjac Reeves's muntjac Reeves's muntjac ("Muntiacus reevesi"; ), also known as Chinese muntjac, is a muntjac species found widely in southeastern China (from Gansu to Yunnan) and Taiwan. It has also been introduced in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (south England, the Midlands, east Wales), Ireland, and Japan. It takes its name from John Reeves, an employee of the British East India Company in the 19th century. Reeves's muntjac grows to high at the shoulder and in length, plus a short tail up to long. It weighs between when fully grown. It is reddish-brown in appearance with striped markings on