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Prehistoric Life

How tall was Megaloceros giganteus?

An adult Megaloceros giganteus stood about 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) at the shoulder.

What is measured: adult male shoulder height

Megaloceros giganteus (2.1 m) drawn to scale beside a doorway (2 m) and a 20-foot shipping container (6.06 m)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Doorway (2 m), Megaloceros giganteus (2.1 m) and Shipping container (20 ft) (6.06 m).

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How big is that, really?

  • About the same height as a doorway
  • A little taller than an adult person
  • About 5.5× as tall as a bowling pin
  • About 35% of the length of a 20-foot shipping container
  • About 14× as tall as a smartphone

Learn

Facts about Megaloceros giganteus

The Irish elk had enormous palmate antlers that could span roughly 3.5 metres from tip to tip.

Source: University College Cork — The Irish elk; Encyclopaedia Britannica — Irish elk

Prehistoric Life

NameSizeCompared with Megaloceros giganteus
Gastornis gigantea1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)0.86×
Coelodonta antiquitatis1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)0.86×
Rhamphorhynchus muensteri1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)0.86×
Protoceratops andrewsi2 m (6 ft 7 in)0.95×
Castoroides ohioensis2 m (6 ft 7 in)0.95×
Elasmotherium sibiricum2 m (6 ft 7 in)0.95×
Megaloceros giganteus2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)this page
Entelodon magnus2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)same size
Daeodon shoshonensis2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)same size
Triceratops horridus2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)1.1×

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