Megaloceros, also called the Irish 
Elk, has possibly the most fitting 
name of any prehistoric animal. 
Meaning "Great Horn," Megaloceros 
had enormous antlers that spanned 
3.65 meters. Only males had these 
massive antlers, and they shed and 
regrew them every mating season. They 
were probably used to impress the 
ladies, because who could resist such 
handsome headgear? In addition to its
noteworthy antlers, this stunning
lad was a massive two meters tall at
the shoulder! Megaloceros is also 
one of few animals that are depicted
in prehistoric cave paintings, so we
can actually see how it looked in 
life. The art shows Megaloceros with
a large, boldly colored hump on its 
shoulders and dark stripes sweeping
down its elegant body.

This horny deer lived in Europe and
Asia during the Pleistocene in open
forest and meadow habitats. It was
hunted by cave lions, cave hyenas,
and cave wolves (oh my!). Evidently, 
since cave paintings of Megaloceros 
exist, it also regularly encountered 
early humans. There are many 
theories about why the Megaloceros 
went extinct, including overhunting 
by humans; other theories argue that 
their foods lost quality over time,
meaning that they could not get 
sufficient nutrients to live. 
Surprisingly, their closest modern
relatives are not elk or moose, as 
could be expected, but are actually 
fallow deer. 