Megaloceros is a genus of large deer that lived across Eurasia during the Pleistocene and Holocene. It is represented by its type species M. giganteus, also known as the Irish elk and as the giant deer, in Prehistoric Kingdom.
It is scheduled to be added to the game in Update 13.
In Game[]
Description[]
Megaloceros is a large deer with massive antlers in male individuals that dwarf the headgear of its modern counterparts. The coat patterns of all three Megaloceros skins bear characteristic shaded and lighter regions based off of cave art depictions of these animals, similar to Coelodonta. One of the skins also bears a longer "beard" of sorts than the others, while another has faint spotting on its back.
Management[]
To be announced.
In-Game Trivia[]
Nigel Marven
Nigel Marven
Nigel Marven
Nigel Marven
Paleontology[]
Megaloceros was discovered in 1799 by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, the same scientist who named the genus Mammuthus. Its name means "Great Horn" in reference to its enormous antlers.
Paleoecology[]
The antlers of Megaloceros were likely used in a similar fashion to living deer, with male individuals sparring with their massive headgear.
When Megaloceros was first being described some thought that its antlers were so large that they drove the species to extinction, however more recent analysis has determined that Megaloceros was perfectly capable of wielding its massive adornments. It is now more understood that a combination of climate change and human interaction are what lead to this animal's extinction, much like with other Ice Age megafauna.
Megaloceros is fortunate enough to have a wealth of cave art depicting it as it would have appeared in life, leading to a good general idea of its coat patterning and other soft tissue features. The specific art styles used to depict the deer have lead to differing interpretations however, with some postulating that the animal had a large stripe on its coat, while others point out that no modern deer have such a pattern and that the markings are likely differentiating darker and lighter portions of the body. Ultimately which portions are darker and which portions are lighter will likely remain unknown until good physical remains or genetic analysis reveal this animal's true colors.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The developers of Prehistoric Kingdom have said that they hope to release Megaloceros alongside Ursus in time for Christmas 2024.
- Megaloceros will be the first artiodactyl (even-toed ungulate like camels, pigs, hippos, giraffes, bovids and even whales) added to Prehistoric Kingdom, as all hoofed mammals added before it have been members of Perissodactyla, the odd-toed ungulates like horses, tapirs and rhinos.
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