Giant Elk (Megaloceros giganteus)

Megaloceros, Irish elk, Giant deer
Megaloceros giganteus
Megaloceros is often confusingly called the Irish Elk, although it was found all across Europe, not just Ireland, and is technically a deer rather than an elk.
Meaning of scientific name
\"giant antler\"
Statistics
2.1m at the shoulder.
Physical Description
Its huge antlers were once thought to have been its downfall because they grew so large that the animals could no longer lift their heads, or got them entangled between trees!
History:
They lived 400,000-9,500 years ago. The first artiodactyls (also called the \'even-toed ungulates\') were present in the Eocene forests. Deer are probably descended from small animals like the chevrotains, which browse and eat fallen fruit in forests. Like chevrotains, deer use fermentation in their gut to digest plant material more efficiently - called rumination.