26 Megaceros ‘hibernicus’ (lower stag)

3D Model

One of two sculptures of the male of this species depicted at Crystal Palace.

The species is now known as Megaloceros giganteus (‘big horned giant’). The common name is ‘Giant Deer’ or ‘Irish Elk’ because many of the best fossil specimens have been found in Irish lakes and peat bogs. However, it inhabited much of Europe and central Asia during the Ice Ages from 400,000 to 8,000 years ago. It was the warmer conditions at the end of the last Ice Age, perhaps exacerbated by human predation, that led to its demise.

This is one of the most accurate of the sculptures because there were lots of intact fossil skeletons to base the reconstruction on, as well as living deer species. Most striking are the huge antlers. Real fossil antlers were used when the sculpture was first made but these were superseded by inaccurate replacements, much smaller and less upswept than the real thing. The left antler droops and the right antler has now broken off completely.

Model by HE Geospatial Survey Team ©Historic England