Irish Elk Size report
The Irish Elk is an extinct species and one of the largest deer ever found. It lived in the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene, and its habitat spanned across Eurasia, from Ireland to Lake Baikal in Siberia. The most recent known fossil of the Irish Elk is about 7,700 years old. A large collection of fossils from Irish Elk is now on display at the Irish Museum of Natural History in Dublin, Ireland.
Although abundant skeletal remains have been found in Irish swamps, the animal is not unique to Ireland. Therefore, "Giant Deer" is used in some publications instead of "Irish Elk." The antlers of the Irish Elk are large and beautiful. No modern animal resembles it. But for some unknown reason, these huge deers were wiped out as the ice age was ending?
All modern elk species may have evolved from M. antecedents during the near-Emm interglacial. M. antecedents are sometimes considered a subspecies called M. giganteus antecedents, with similar but more complex antlers. You will learn more basics about the Irish Elk in this post.
Irish Elk General Description
The Irish Elk (scientific name: Megaloceros giganteus) is also known as the Irish Deer or Giant Deer and is most closely related to a modern-day Moose from body size to similar fur colors. It is the largest deer in history. The name Irish Elk is a double noun error. First, Megaloceros has more in common with modern deer, and second, it doesn't live only in Ireland; its fossils are distributed across Europe.
However, what sets this giant mammal apart from other ungulates are its massive, forked, ornate antlers that span nearly 13 feet from tip to tip and weigh up to 100 pounds. These antlers are strictly a sexually selected trait; males with strong and huge antlers are more attractive to females during mating season. The lifespan of an Irish Elk is thought to be roughly 10-15 years.
Irish Elk Average Size
The Irish Elk is a huge deer with massive body size and large-wide antlers up to 13 feet (4 m).
- They had standing shoulder heights between 6'6"-7' (198-213 cm).
- Their head-to-body lengths are in the range of 9'10"-10'6" (3-3.2 m)
- And the giant deer has an overall weight of 1190-1543 lbs (540-700 kg).
Extinction
The Irish Elk was one of the most celebrated extinct animals, with T. Rex and the mammoth, but relatively little was known about it, and much of that was wrong. Scientists' analysis of the cause of the giant deer's extinction still focuses on the antlers, not its massive body.
Stephen Jay Gould pointed out in 1974 that the giant antlers of the giant deer originate from allometric growth. This pair of antlers is not very suitable for fighting, but its position on the skull is perfect for attacking enemies and attracting the opposite sex. Some people think the giant deer disappeared because such vegetation declined as temperatures rapidly cooled. But the eventual disappearance of the giant deer in Eurasia is inconclusive.
