Palmated antler growth

Is it true that stags with flattened or palmate tops, such as those carried by fallow bucks, are from park stock, or does this type of antler growth also occur in wild animals?

Palmation of the crown is common in park or enclosed stags, and it seems to be a characteristic that is passed on to wild animals with park genetics in their make-up. It is also seen in European stags from captive and enclosed environments. The red deer population in Scotland, and in other parts of Europe where ‘smaller’ sub-species occur like Spain and Sweden, have seen their populations augmented by introductions from various sources in the belief that this would improve the native stock’s antler growth and body mass.

However, there have been some instances where it is believed that wild stags have developed palmated crowns on either both or one side. Given that attempts at ‘improvement’ began in Scotland in the second half of the 19th century, I suspect that animals showing palmation can be traced back to those areas where park or captive animals had been liberated. IW

A flattened or palmated crown is a common trait in enclosed stags