elk, Irish

Extinct Pleistocene species of deer Megaloceros giganteus, the bones of which are found in Irish bogs and also in certain parts of Great Britain and mainland Europe. It stood about 2 m/6.6 ft in height, and is characterized by the enormous size of its antlers, which sometimes had a spread of almost 3.3 m/11 ft.

Classification The Irish Elk is in family Cervidae, order Artiodactyla.

It is closely allied to the present day fallow deer and became extinct after the coming of humans to Europe.