IRISH ELK PREHISTORIC KINGDOM FULL
For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search. Irish folklore appertaining to huge black deer have led some researchers to speculate whether the giant deer may actually have survived in Ireland until as recently as a mere thousand years or so ago, but there is no physical evidence to support this possibility.Īll records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. Until recently, this huge species was believed to have died out by the end of the Pleistocene epoch, 11,700 years ago, but very early Holocene fossils have lately been revealed on the Isle of Man and in central Europe, confirming that it survived the last Ice Age. Genetic studies have confirmed that its closest relative was the modern-day fallow deer. The Irish elk became extinct about 11,000 years ago, much later than other representatives of the mammoth fauna. In spite of its commonly used alternative name of Irish elk, the giant deer was not closely related to the elks. The appearance of the first megacerine was observed about 1.4 million years ago, and bone remains from the Early Pleistocene were found in the British Isles, Germany, and Eastern Europe (Moldova and Ukraine). Based upon fossil evidence and some excellent cave paintings, this impressive species is believed to have stood up to 2 m at the shoulder, and bore enormous antlers in the male that could span up to 4.3 m and weigh up to 45 kg. The reason it got its name is that intact fossils were often found in Ireland, specifically in lake beds and island bogs, which can preserve bones very well.The largest species of prehistoric fallow deer was the aptly named giant deer Megaloceros giganteus, also known as the Irish elk on account of many fossil specimens having been found in Ireland. The animal once can be found in all of Europe, northern Asia, North Africa, with its related species roaming in China. This animal stood about 6.5 feet tall, (with some having antlers that measured 12 feet wide) and is considered to be the largest deer species to roam the earth. While it is named so, it is not an elk but rather a huge species of deer. The Irish Elk is also known as the Great Elk. In the meantime, Coyle is keeping this ancient find in his garage. He recalled that a jawbone (believed to come from the same animal they discovered) was caught in 2014 and made the local news. I didn’t know what to do with it.”īut even then, Coyle eventually recognized their catch being a large animal that roamed the earth thousands of years ago. Coyle couldn’t believe what he saw that he thought of throwing it back into the water. You can imagine just how surprised the fishermen were, having caught not only a massive skull but also one that belonged to an ancient creature. The skull with antlers measured more than six feet across and is said to belong to the Irish Elk ( Megaloceros giganteus), an animal that has been extinct in Ireland for over 10,500 years. Contents 1 In Game 1.1 Description 1.2 Management 2 Paleontology 3 Gallery In Game Description Megaloceros is a large deer with much larger antlers than its modern counterparts. The two fishermen reeled in a giant skull with antlers. Megaloceros, also known as the Irish Elk or Giant Elk, is a genus of Cervid that lived across Eurasia during the Quaternary period. They thought they had snagged a large piece of deadwood but it turned out to be an unusual prehistoric catch. Raymond McElroy and Charlie Coyle were out to catch fish in Lough Neagh, a large freshwater lake, but they ended up with something more – literally a big surprise.
And that’s exactly what happened to a fisherman and his assistant when they were out fishing in Northern Ireland on Sept.
The Irish Elk roamed the earth 10,000 years ago.įishing can be a rewarding hobby, especially when you’ll get surprised by your interesting catch.The skull measured over six feet across.Two fishermen were surprised to reel in a massive prehistoric skull of an Irish Elk.
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