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Design
details: The Herbivorous Giant...
One of the last megafaunas to have lived during the Ice Age
was the giant deer, or Megaloceros giganteus. Although the giant deer
coexisted with the woolly mammoth, this species also lived in more
southerly areas during periods when the woolly mammoth and woolly
rhinoceros would have been absent until climate change affected the giant
deer’s ability to survive.
The giant deer had an impressive standing shoulder height of just under 2
metres, the height of the average doorframe, and weighed around 500
kilogrammes. Its most impressive feature was the massive antlers that were
grown exclusively by the males. These could range from 3.5 to 2.5 metres
depending on the age of the animal, growing in size and complexity as the
males aged. Designed by palaeo-artist Robert Nicholls.
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