Alces gallicus

Alces gallicus
Temporal range:
Size diagram of the extinct elk Alces gallicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: Capreolinae
Genus: Alces
Species:
A. gallicus
Binomial name
Alces gallicus
(Azzaroli, 1952)
Synonyms

Cervalces gallicus

Libralces gallicus

Alces gallicus, also known as the Villafranchian elk, weighing scale elk (from the antlers looking like a pair of scales), or Gallic moose, is an extinct species of Alces, which has been found in Europe. It lived in the Pleistocene, about 2 million years ago. This species was smaller than recent elk or moose, but it had longer antlers than its modern relatives. The antler structure was similar to Cervalces, consisting of very long beams and relatively small palms; it is included in that genus by some authors. It is also sometimes included in the genus Libralces.