A FOSSILISED LOWER JAW FROM THE EXTINCT IRISH ELK (MEGALOCEROS GIGANTEUS)

A FOSSILISED LOWER JAW FROM THE EXTINCT IRISH ELK (MEGALOCEROS GIGANTEUS)of Taxidermy and Natural History interest, the section of the lower jaw bone with three teeth of the iconic extinct Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus), dredged from the North Sea,21 x 10cmThis was one of the largest deer species in history. Standing 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) tall at the shoulders, it carried the largest antlers of any known deer past or present: a maximum of 3.65 m (12.0 ft) from tip to tip and 40 kg (88 lb) in weight. Sub-fossilized antlers are highly prized and command very high prices. The Irish Elk lived during the Pleistocene period between about 450,000 - 8,000 years ago, and ranged from Ireland to Russia.