Daily Dose of Prehistory: Back From Extinction 04

Pointy Boi 2: This time it's a deer or something

Megaloceros giganteus, which means "Giant Great Horn", is an extinct species of deer that lived across Eurasia during the Pleistocene, ranging from Ireland to Siberia and everywhere in between. Commonly known as the Irish Elk, Megaloceros was actually not related to either of the elk species living today (fun fact, Moose are also called Eurasian Elk). Indeed, it was actually more closely related to Red Deer and Fallow Deer. Megaloceros was the largest deer to ever live, measuring 6.9 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed anywhere 1190 to 1543 pounds. It gets its name from its massive antlers, which could measure an astonishing 12 feet across from tip to tip and weigh up to 88 pounds. As Megaloceros only went extinct around 7700 years ago, likely due to climate change and human predation, the animal was immortalized in folklore by many cultures such as the Scythians and Ancient Germans. As of 2019, Megaloceros has been made a potential candidate for de-extinction.

It’s very cool, I need it

Ours is the Fury.