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The fishermen of Northern Ireland have captured in Lough Neagh, the largest lake of the British Isles, a huge pair of old elk antlers. It is estimated that they are about six feet (1.7 meters) wide, much larger than the antlers of any living creature. They are thought to come from Irish elk, and it is expected that they can help the experts better understand these huge prehistoric animals and the environment of ancient Europe. .
Irish elk
This elk (Megaloceros giganteus) has been extinct for thousands of years and is also known as giant elk, because of its enormous size and bulkiness. According to Live Science, the name "Irish elk" is a little misnomer on both sides, in that it is technically deer and has been found far beyond Ireland. The species is related to modern deer and was formerly native to an area ranging from Siberia to Ireland and was even found in North Africa. The animals disappeared because of environmental changes, when their meadow habitat was replaced by dense forests, many thousands of years ago.
The Irish elk of Charles R Knight ( public domain )
The discovery of the woods
Early in the morning, fishermen Raymond McElroy and Charlie Coy, after a bad fishing night on Lough Neagh, in Tyrone County, discovered that their nets had caught something big and heavy, but it was obvious that this n & Was not a fish. They fished in about 20 feet or six meters of water about a mile from shore. According to the Irish Times, the fishermen "thought that their nets had clung to an old piece of dead tree" at the bottom of the lake. The two fishermen pulled the net out of the water and to their surprise they found a skull and a set of woods.
The fishermen were shocked when, after some effort, they pulled the net on board to see the skull and the woods. At first they did not know what to do with the discovery. The duo brought the woods and skulls to a local historian, Pat Grimes, who photographed and shared the discovery.
The Irish and male Irish elk (Cervus megaceros), now extinct ( public domain )
Skulls and woods
Thirty or so years ago, a fisherman caught a net in his net in the same lake, which he donated to a local school, where he is proudly exposed. Another fisherman, a few years ago, also found the complete jaw of the giant elk and is estimated to be at least 14,000 years old. Interestingly, skulls and massive woods were captured in the same area of the lake where the jaw was found. This leads to speculation that the skull and the woods and the jaw all belonged to the same animal.
According to Live Science, one of the fishermen "keeps the wood stored in his garage until the local authorities decide where the woods will be permanently installed". It is expected that in the future, the antlers and skull will be examined and their estimated date. Until now, the ultimate destination of woods and skulls has not been determined.
A skeleton of Irish elk ( CC by SA 2.5 )
The importance of the skull and the woods
The size of the skull and the woods make the discovery of Lough Neagh important, as they show the size of the males. It also shows that the environment in Western Europe was an environment that supported the grassy plains, the habitat typical of giant elk. It is hoped that Lough Neagh could contain more remnants of the extinct animal.
Top image: Raymond McElroy with the antlers and skull of an Irish elk recovered at Lough Neagh. Photo credit: Philip Walsh
By Ed Whelan
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