GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN MOOSE ANTLER CHARACTERISTICS, YUKON

Yukon has been identified as the transition zone between Alces alces gigas and Alces alces andersoni. Peterson (1955) suggested the demarcation was a north-south line through central Yukon, with A. a. andersoni to the east, and A. a. gigas to the west. If antler size reflects subspecies differences, our data suggest that the northern boundary of a transition zone between the two subspecies lies in an east-west orientation through central Yukon with A. a. gigas to the north and A. a. andersoni or a mix of the two subspecies to the south. These conclusions are based on four measures of moose antler characteristics taken from samples throughout Yukon. Statistically significant differences were found in all measures between samples taken from regions classed accordingly to a north-south split. No differences were found in measures of antler characteristics between samples classed according to the east-west split proposed by Peterson (1955)