Mysterious Deer Fossil Unearthed Near Toronto TTC Station Identified After 50 Years
Nearly five decades after it was discovered during the construction of Toronto’s Islington subway station, scientists have finally identified the mysterious fossil that puzzled experts for generations.
A new Trent University study, in collaboration with the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Royal Alberta Museum, has revealed that the fossil belonged to a long-extinct deer species closely related to today’s whitetail and mule deer.
“It became clear it was most closely related to whitetail and mule deer, but likely a distinct species that diverged around 3 million years ago,” said Dr. Aaron Schafer, associate professor at Trent University.
A window into Ice-Age Toronto
The species, named Torontoceros hypogaeus — literally “horned Toronto deer from underground” — is believed to be about 12,000 years old. Researchers say it roamed a tundra-like landscape, far different from the forested Toronto we know today.
“It looks like it was adapted for a wider, more open space than the forested area you would have seen in the past few hundred years,” said Oliver Haddrath, collections technician at the ROM.
Scientists believe the deer’s extinction may have been tied to climate change and genetic decline in a small population.
Science catches up to history
The fossil has remained in the ROM’s archives since its discovery, but until recently, researchers lacked the DNA technology to determine its lineage.
“Having this DNA lab allows us to answer questions we previously thought were unanswerable — looking at samples that are thousands of years old and fitting them into their family tree,” Haddrath said.
Once the ROM’s renovated gallery reopens, visitors will be able to view Torontoceros hypogaeus — a one-of-a-kind fossil offering a rare glimpse into Toronto’s Ice-Age ecosystem.
