An old tooth on an old board

This molar tooth may well be over 20,000 years old and is from the so called Giant Irish Elk, Megaloceros giganteus, which is now extinct. The name of the animal is completely misleading, apart from the giganteus bit which correctly indicates that this was a giant of an animal, probably the largest deer that has ever lived. However, Megaloceros from the Greek: megalos + keras, means "Great Horn" and of course deer don't have horns, they have antlers! Furthermore the Irish Elk wasn't an elk at all but most closely related to the modern Fallow deer. Finally, although remains have been found in Irish bogs, the species lived right across Eurasia, from Ireland to east of Lake Baikal. The species flourished during the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene and the latest known remains have been carbon dated to about 7,700 years ago.

The "extra" involves a rainbow over the Ythan estuary. The rainbow's end seems to be in the garden of a huge modern house that is being built atop the hill. I understand that it is the property of one of the owners of Brew Dog, our local brewery. There is clearly gold to be had in brewing!