50-year mystery of ancient 'subway deer' discovered in Canada is now solved

Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald on Oct 15, 2025

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In 1976, during the excavation of a subway extension in Toronto, a city worker discovered unusual looking antlers with “thick, horizontal beams.”

Experts named it Torontoceros hypogaeus, meaning “horned Toronto deer from underground,” but over time it became known as “The Toronto subway deer,” according to an Oct. 10 news release from the university.

For nearly 50 years, the identity and lineage of the species has been a mystery — until now.

Researchers collected DNA from about two dozen ancient cervid samples, including “deer, elk, moose, and caribou” ancestors, and compared those to the mystery antlers.

They found no match to any known species, however, according to the release.

Thanks to advances in DNA analysis, researchers from Trent University have now determined the antlers belonged to a now-extinct species, closely related to mule deer and white-tailed deer, experts said.

“Think of it as their grandparent,” Dr. Aaron Shafer, chair of Forensic Science at Trent University, said in the release.

Experts said “the discovery fits within the broader picture of a megafaunal extinction event about 12,000 years ago, when many large mammals failed to adapt to rapid climate change.”

The research team said they are using the findings to learn more about how today’s deer species may respond to environmental changes.

The research, completed by Shafter and Dr. Camille Kessler, will be published in The Royal Society’s journal Biology Letters, according to the release.

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