Family Moschidae

The Moschidae (musk deer; 1 Genus, 6 species) resemble oversized chevrotains (Tragulidae) rather than true deer (Cervidae). Like tragulids, the moschids are hornless (other families possess horns or antlers), and the males have large upper canines instead.

Musk deer have a small body size with a weight of ~11 kg and are widely distributed in Asia. They lived in ecotone habitats, prefer cold climate and are browsers eating fruits, shoots, and leaves.

Adult males of all musk deer species possess a gland in their abdomen which secrets a pungent, waxy substance called musk - hence the common name "musk deer". This musk has been highly prized as a base for perfumes, soaps, and medicinal preparations.

Using fossil calibrations, we estimated the emergence of Moschidae at ~23 Mya. This family has no domestic animals.

References  

1. Hackmann T J, Spain J N. Invited review: ruminant ecology and evolution: perspectives useful to ruminant livestock research and production.[J]. Journal of Dairy Science, 2010, 93(4):1320-1334.
2. Hernández F M, Vrba E S. A complete estimate of the phylogenetic relationships in Ruminantia: a dated species-level supertree of the extant ruminants[M]. 2005.
3. Hofmann R R. Evolutionary steps of ecophysiological adaptation and diversification of ruminants: a comparative view of their digestive system[J]. Oecologia, 1989, 78(4):443-457.
4. Davis E B, Brakora K A, Lee A H. Evolution of ruminant headgear: a review[J]. Proceedings Biological Sciences, 2011, 278(1720):2857-2865.
5. http://www.ultimateungulate.com/ungulates.html

The Moschidae Family Tree