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Megaloceros is often called the “Irish Elk,” although it was neither exclusively Irish nor an elk. This giant deer ranged across northern Eurasia from Siberia to Ireland, shedding and re-growing its giant antlers every year.
This giant deer is the Smithsonian’s oldest mounted fossil skeleton. It’s been on display since 1872.
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Details
- Title: Giant deer
- Location: Peat bog, Ireland
- Physical Dimensions: L: 274 W: 253 H: 279.3
- Type: Skeleton
- Rights: This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. The image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. http://www.si.edu/termsofuse
- External Link: View this object record in the Smithsonian Institution Collections Search Center
- USNM Catalog Number(s): V7051
- Scientific Name: <i>Megaloceros giganteus</i>
- Photo Credit: James Di Loreto, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
- Historic Period: Lived 400,000–7,700 years ago
- Geologic Age: Cenozoic - Quaternary
- Field: Paleobiology
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