Species conservation programs are highly based on analyses of population genetics. We compared eight Neotropical Cervidae (Mazama americana, M. gouzaoubira, M. rufina, Odocoileus virginianus, Hippocamelus antisensis, Pudu mephistopholes, Ozotoceros bezoarticus and Blastoceros dichotomus) and some European and Asian Cervidae (Cervus elaphus, C. nippon, Capreolus capreolus, C. pygargus and Dama dama). The European species C. elaphus was our standard for a high degree of genetic variability: we used a
