Organism
Irish Elk
TL;DR
Extinct deer species whose antlers exemplify runaway selection taken to evolutionary extremes.
Extinct deer species whose antlers exemplify runaway selection taken to evolutionary extremes. Irish Elk antlers spanned up to 12 feet - a trait that, combined with climate change and habitat loss during the Pleistocene, contributed to their extinction around 11,000 years ago. The antlers demonstrate how runaway selection can amplify traits far beyond survival utility when reproductive advantage drives evolution.
Notable Traits of Irish Elk
- Antlers spanning up to 12 feet
- Extinct ~11,000 years ago
- Example of runaway selection to evolutionary dead end