Megaloceros giganteus

Recreation of a Giant Deer (Megaloceros giganteus), also known as Irish Elk, the most widely known fossil deer, with the largest antlers of any living or extinct deer. Dated from the Middle Pleistocene (about 400,000-300,000 years ago), and ranging across Europe to ...

Megaloceros giganteus ranged across Eurasia from Ireland to China during the Pleistocene.

*This image is copyright of its original author *This image is copyright of its original author Giant deer or Irish giant deer, is an extinct species of deer in the genus Megaloceros and is one of the

Size of the extinct Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) relative to a hunter-gatherer. The largest deer ever discovered, it stood up to 7 ft at the shoulder and weighed up to 1600 lbs. (by Philip Newsom)

Antlers of an extinct Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) sold by Christies. These giant deer stood about 7 ft. tall at the shoulder, weighed about 1,600 lbs., and a rack of antlers could spread up to 12 ft.

Megaloceros giganteus by Gabriel N. Ugueto

Megaloceros giganteus

With antlers spanning nearly 3 meters Megaloceros or irish elk must have been a sight to behold. Those things weighed some 40 kg too. what a burden to carry.

Size comparison of the extinct Megaloceros giganteus to an adult human and an Alaskan moose. It's estimated that Megaloceros stood 6 to 7 ft. tall at the shoulder.