What characteristic separates Family Cervidae, like O. virginianus, from bovids?
Presence of branched antlers shed annually
The Family Cervidae, the true deer family that includes *Odocoileus virginianus*, is primarily distinguished from related families like the Bovidae (which includes cattle and goats) by the structure and nature of their head appendages. Members of Cervidae typically possess antlers in most males; these structures are made entirely of bone, are usually branched, and are shed and regrown on an annual cycle. In contrast, bovids possess horns, which consist of a bony core covered by a keratin sheath and are unbranched and permanent, never being shed. This consistent difference in antler/horn biology is a key feature used by researchers to differentiate between these large herbivore families during taxonomic and ecological study.
