Prehistoric deer aren’t exactly the hottest area of fossil research. Among other issues, paleontologist Eric Gustafson points out, the earliest deer – technically known as cervids – are rare and often represented from little more than scraps. But there are a few North American deer that are more than shards of tooth and antler. Among them is an animal Gustafson and colleague Willis Fry named Bretzia pseudalces in 1974.

Back in the Pliocene, around five million years ago, Bretzia pseudalces lived in the woodlands that covered Washington state. The mammal wouldn’t have been totally unfamiliar to our eyes – it would still be recognizable as a deer – but the antlers borne by the males would have immediately distinguished