WebIrish elk, ( Megaloceros giganteus ), also called Irish deer or giant deer, extinct species of deer, characterized by immense body size and wide antlers, commonly found as fossils in … WebThe Case of the Irish Elk. The Irish Elk, Megaloceros, is misnamed, for it is neither exclusively Irish nor is it an elk. It is a giant extinct deer, the largest deer species ever, that stood up to seven feet at the shoulder (2.1 …
Irish elk - Wikipedia
WebNov 8, 2024 · Around 400,000 years ago, the Irish Elk ( Megaloceros giganteus) roamed Pleistocene Europe and Asia. The species went extinct around 8,000 years ago. The name is something of a misnomer, since it … WebAs a name, Irish elk is a double misnomer. The animal thrived in Ireland but was not exclusively Irish, ranging across Europe to western Siberia for some 400,000 years during … description of management and organization
Irish elk – Wild Deer Association of Ireland
WebIrish elk are extinct members of the Cervidae family that died off about 7,700 years ago. It was one of the largest deer species to ever walk the earth. Their primary defining characteristic was their enormous antlers, … The Irish elk (Megaloceros giganteus), also called the giant deer or Irish deer, is an extinct species of deer in the genus Megaloceros and is one of the largest deer that ever lived. Its range extended across Eurasia during the Pleistocene, from Ireland to Lake Baikal in Siberia. The most recent remains of the species … See more Research history The first scientific descriptions of the animal's remains were made by Irish physician Thomas Molyneux in 1695, who identified large antlers from Dardistown, Dublin—which … See more It was not exclusive to Ireland. Rather, it was so named because the most well-known and best-preserved fossil specimens have been found in lake sediments and peat bogs in Ireland. The Irish elk had a far-reaching range, extending from the … See more Outside of the Irish Late Pleistocene, remains of Irish elk are uncommon, suggesting that they were usually rare in the areas that they did occur. Historically, its extinction has been attributed to the encumbering size of the antlers, a " See more Due to the abundance of Irish elk remains in Ireland, a thriving trade in their bones existed there during the 19th century to supply museums and collectors. Skeletons and skulls with attached antlers were also prized ornaments in aristocratic homes. The remains of Irish … See more The Irish elk stood about 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) tall at the shoulders and carried the largest antlers of any known deer, a maximum of 3.65 m (12.0 ft) from tip to tip and 40 kg (88 lb) in weight. For … See more Physiology In 1998, Canadian biologist Valerius Geist hypothesised that the Irish elk was cursorial (adapted for running and stamina). He noted that the Irish elk physically resembled reindeer. The body proportions of the … See more A handful of Irish elk depictions are known from the art of the Upper Paleolithic in Europe. However, these are much less abundant than the common red deer and reindeer depictions. The bones of the Irish elk are uncommon in localities where they are found, and only a … See more WebJul 15, 2024 · Irish elk were around 2.1 meters tall (6ft 11 inches) and weighed 990-1,320 pounds (449.05-598.74 kilograms). Palaeolithic humans lived the same time as Irish elk and created cave art that remains today. They painted Irish elk 17,000 years ago in Lascaux cave, southwestern France. chs.org jobs