Megaloceros

Megaloceros (Megaloceros giganteus) were giant deer. Megaloceros meant "giant antler". Since they were deer, they were mammals. They were in the deer family, called the cervid family. Megaloceros were herbivores. They ate things like grass and vegetation.

The Megaloceros' closest living relative was the Fallow Deer. Megaloceros had very big antlers. They were around 2.1 metres at the shoulder. The Megaloceros' were a reddish color, with a circular pattern to it. In cave paintings, they were shown with color, so we think that they were a reddish color.

Sometimes, Megaloceros is mistakenly called the Irish Elk. Irish Elks are only found in Ireland, when Megaloceros fossils were found all across Europe. Also, Megaloceros were deer, not elk. The Megaloceros' antlers were so huge, it was hard for them to even lift their heads. The antlers were a big problem, since they were about 3 metres wide. They lived 400,000-9,500 years ago, in the Quaternary period. Megaloceros were big deer.