Submitted: 26 October 2026 You are already at the latest version Antler regeneration involves rapid chondrogenesis and ossification, yet the bone morphogenetic protein/growth differentiation factor (BMP/GDF) genes associated with skeletal development remain poorly characterized in sika deer. We identified 16 BMP genes and two GDF genes belonging to seven phylogenetic subfamilies. Synteny analysis identified segmental and putative tandem duplications; two duplicated pairs had Ka/Ks ratios below 1.
