The Irish elk is not a typical candidate for this website since it went extinct soon after the last Ice Age. This post is dedicated to the 5th graders at Gibbs Elementary who asked me to research and post about the Irish elk, which probably went extinct before recent times. HOWEVER, a poem written in High German around 1200 called the Nibelungenlied mentions the 'schlech', a word thought to be the Irish elk, as well as the extinct aurochs. Technically the 1200's is within the time range of this site, so here is more information about the extinct Irish elk. The Irish elk is not closely related to the European elk (moose) or the North American elk. Genetics seems to indicate the red deer and fallow deer are the most closely related species to the Irish elk. Although it is called the Irish elk, it once ranged throughout Eurasia. Its antlers were used in tools as far east as central China. The oldest antlers found in Hoxne, England seem to be 424,000 to 374,000 old. The most recent Irish deer antlers found in western Russia indicate that the Irish remained until about 7,700 years ago. Scientists have been able to study the skeletons of the Irish elk, and many theories about the reason for their extinction have been made. The most agreed upon theory is called The Antler Theory which explains how over time the Irish deer became a 'specialized species'. Over time, their size and antlers became larger and larger. This was due to stronger genetics being passed on to later generations. During mating season, males with the largest antlers would pass on their genetics, ensuring that the next generation would also have larger antlers. The rich grasslands were rich in the calcium and phosphorus needed to regrow the massive antlers each year. The open grasslands also did not limit the span of the antlers. After the last Ice Age, many places throughout its range began warming up, but in Ireland the melting glaciers actually caused a cooling effect for close to 1,000 years. This time period presented a catch 22 for the Irish elk. Males with the largest antlers needed the most nutrients, and females would not mate with males with smaller antlers. With the reduction of nutrients, larger antlers could not be maintained. The fossil record does not show an adaptation for smaller antlers. This shows that the specialized Irish elk could not adapt quickly enough. It died out in Ireland around 10,600 years ago. The final blow to the species began occurring around 9,600 years ago when the world began a warming trend. Soil samples show an increase in trees, pine trees at first followed by oak trees. This is another hurdle of adaptation that the Irish elk did not make. Its specialized grass diet was hard to keep up as forest grew throughout its remaining range. The fact that its antler size never shrank made it harder and harder to navigate its 12 foot antlers through the forests to find food. What part did people play in the extinction of the Irish elk? It is not conclusive. While the Irish elks' antlers were collected by people long ago to use for tools, there is little evidence that it was regularly hunted. It is depicted in cave paintings and was thought to be revered by some groups, as its antlers were probably used by shamans for ceremonies. The most recent Irish elk probably died in western Russia around 5,700 BC. Although not widely accepted, the Irish elk was mentioned in two separate accounts around 1200 AD, in Middle High German- "a single fierce ' schelch' & in Middle Irish - the 'segh'. Both words are thought to indicate an Irish elk. Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The Irish elk may be a candidate for this although all museum specimens are of bones or fossils. With the lack of hair or skin, it might not be possible. If the Irish elk was brought back, would it be able to survive in today's world? This same question is being asked of the wooly mammoth, which scientists are working to resurrect using specimens preserved in permafrost.