Is Rangifer tarandus actually 5-6 different species, & what is the true status of the finnish forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus/Rangifer fennicus)?
We know reindeer to be circumpolarly distributed with a widespread population and a late Pliocene temporal origin, having an intrinsic connection to northern cultures of man, both prehistoric and contemporary. So, has anyone realized that living reindeer may actually be 5–6 different species? Apparently, Lee Harding thinks so, as he has managed to provide an article dedicated to their taxonomic status, focusing mainly on genetic and morphological grounds for speciation. There's also a claim in the article (authored by Lee Harding) that Rangifer tarandus fennicus descends from an extinct non-monophyletic (in relation to other reindeer) ancestor within Rangifer. If one reads the article, is there enough to conclude Rangifer fennicus is actually a descendent of a taxon mistakenly attributed to Cervus?
web sources: https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/80233/
paradoxornithidae
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