Fine-scale Phenotypic Variation of a Large Herbivore in a Pulsed Environment

A study on white-tailed deer in South Texas tested the resource rule hypothesis, which links body size to food resources. Soil characteristics, especially sand content, primarily influenced deer size, with rainfall having a secondary effect. The results supported the hypothesis, showing that forage quality, determined by soil composition, was more crucial than quantity in shaping deer phenotypes.

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