Changes

== Taxonomy ==

== Taxonomy ==

Until 2004, elk were considered a subspecies of the red deer ''Cervus elaphus''). But mitochondrial DNA surveys have now established that the North American elk was never a subspecies of the red deer and in fact has more in common with other members of the [[genus]] [[Cervus]] than with the red deer.<ref name=Ludt>Ludt CJ, Schroeder W, Roffman O, and Kuehn R. "Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of red deer ''(Cervus elaphus)''." ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 31(3):1064-1083, June 2004. {{doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2003.10.003}} Accessed September 29, 2008.</ref>

Until 2004, elk were considered a subspecies of the red deer (''Cervus elaphus''). But mitochondrial DNA surveys have now established that the North American elk was never a subspecies of the red deer and in fact has more in common with other members of the [[genus]] [[Cervus]] than with the red deer.<ref name=Ludt>Ludt CJ, Schroeder W, Roffman O, and Kuehn R. "Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of red deer ''(Cervus elaphus)''." ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 31(3):1064-1083, June 2004. {{doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2003.10.003}} Accessed September 29, 2008.</ref>

Six subspecies of elk are currently known in the zoological literature:<ref name=Keck1/><ref name=rmeffaq>"[http://www.rmef.org/AllAboutElk/FastFacts/ Fast Facts About Elk]." Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, n.d. Accessed September 29, 2008.</ref>

Six subspecies of elk are currently known in the zoological literature:<ref name=Keck1/><ref name=rmeffaq>"[http://www.rmef.org/AllAboutElk/FastFacts/ Fast Facts About Elk]." Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, n.d. Accessed September 29, 2008.</ref>