![]() The Irish Elk’s extinction was caused not by massive antlers, but by rapid changes in climate. The owners of larger antlers would have more offspring, cementing the trait in the population. In such a manner, the giant antlers, rather than being a hindrance, would be a selective advantage. If you are after truly large elk sheds, you will want to focus on the higher-quality elk areas in the state in game management units such as 9, 10, 23, 1, 3, and 27. However, their striking appearance would make them ideal for display, either to females or to demonstrate dominance over other males and secure access to breeding. The vast majority of people coming to Arizona to shed hunt will focus on elk, as the elk here are some of the largest in the world and any deer sheds can be an added bonus. Gould notes that the unwieldy antlers would make poor weapons. The assumption that the antlers were problematic rested on the assumption that the antlers had to be weapons, used either against predators or against other males. For comparison, moose, about the same size, have much smaller antlers, maybe to facilitate movement through their forest habitat. Megaloceros lived in open country, where wide antlers would not impede the animal’s progress. According to his results the giant antlers were, rather than exceptional, about the size that would be appropriate for such a large deer. So, why did these “bizarre” antlers develop? Gould examined the relationship between body size and antler size in a variety of deer. A skeleton of the Irish Elk via Wikimedia Commons Instead, evidence suggests that the massive deer appeared quite rapidly in response to the changing environment, as the glaciers retreated. However, Gould says, there is no evidence at all for this idea. The idea that the antlers killed the elk came from a belief that the elk evolved slowly, growing a larger body and larger antlers with each successive iteration, until producing a final result that was very susceptible to environmental change. The weight of the antlers would have posed additional metabolic costs.Įvidence suggests that the massive deer appeared quite rapidly in response to the changing environment, as the glaciers retreated. A more realistic problem is that male deer shed their antlers and regrew them every year, at an enormous cost in energy. Fanciful theories, that Gould dismisses, supposed that the antlers caused a variety of health problems. A common belief at the time was that the antlers actually were responsible for the animal’s extinction. The mystery of the antlers even attracted the attention of famous evolutionary biologist Steven Jay Gould in 1974. The cartoonish antlers were so striking that biologists have debated their purpose for years. The animal is best known for its disproportionately huge antlers, which could be 12 feet from tip to tip. The name is something of a misnomer, since it was neither exclusively Irish nor an elk, but it was an impressively large deer, standing almost 7 feet at the shoulder. The species went extinct around 8,000 years ago. Everything about this enormous 8×8 elk is impressive–inside antler spread of 40 2/8s inches, and main beam lengths of 53 inches (left) and 59 5/8s inches (right).The icon indicates free access to the linked research on JSTOR.Īround 400,000 years ago, the Irish Elk ( Megaloceros giganteus) roamed Pleistocene Europe and Asia. For more, check out the SCI website, (Alan Hamberlin traveled to Navajo County, Arizona in October 1998 to down this giant non-typical Rocky Mountain elk. To help stir those dreams, here’s a photo gallery of some of Safari Club International’s all-time record-book elk trophies. ![]() ![]() Rare is the America big game hunter who doesn’t dream of tagging one of these elusive and awe-inspiring animals. With a body weight approaching half a ton, antlers spanning six feet, and a multi-point wide rack, white-tipped and majestic, a rut-crazed and bugling wapiti is something to behold. Few animals are as jaw-droppingly impressive as a full-grown elk. This chandelier is impressive for sure Built in a circular design, we use our best and biggest elk antlers to make a grand piece that will catch your eye. Denny Austad grabbed headlines across the country after downing the new world record elk dubbed “Spider Bull.” The huge animal officially scored 478-5/8 B&C non-typical points.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |