MEGALOCERO | 𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘶𝘴

GIANT ANTLERS

If we were to encounter a male specimen of the Megaloceros (Megaloceros giganteus), the characteristic that would immediately catch our attention would be the gigantic antlers adorning the forehead of these Pleistocene deer.

Indeed, this is the meaning of its name. “Megaloceros” derives from Greek and means “great horn.” The megaloceros, also known as the “Giant Deer” or “Irish Elk,” was a cervid that lived in Pleistocene Europe. Its size was colossal: 2.1 meters in height at the shoulder and approximately 800 kg in weight for the largest individuals.

Today, these deer are obviously extinct, and all we can admire are their skeletons in museums and various paleoartistic reconstructions. Just like this one.

My post today is a reconstruction of Megaloceros giganteus depicted in its typical environment: an open forest of fir trees, perhaps near a river. Here, we can see it cautiously surveying its territory on a cold and foggy autumn morning.

I created this reconstruction on commission for the new video by Willy Guasti, also known as @zoosparkle, which has just been released on his channel. In the video, Willy, a scientific popularizer specializing in paleontology, provides a lot of super interesting information about this beautiful extinct cervid.

The video of the reconstruction was created with the help of @dioramanature and thanks to the skillful work of editing and montage by @antonio.dime.

I highly recommend watching the video, which you can find on the Zoosparkle YouTube channel.