BBC getting it wrong

[Apthorpe]

Two snow flakes and -2c doth, not a winter make

No, but Midlands culture doth many a moose make. Yea, even some absolute henkers.

 

[alberta boy]

In the UK there Elk, Alg In Sweden, Elg In Danish and Elch In German, None of them refer too one particular species (Okay, UK probably does historically) however the other countries are all descriptive words for large deer that usually moose are referred too as.

Moose Is Algonquian, some quick research It seems like the first proper landed NA area was Newfoundland? Historically Algonquian's were in that area so I imagine natives were encountered rather quickly(?) so I would assume "Moose" was adapted pretty quickly when we actually started too care about giving things names.

If I were too guess the time more people came over they entered a differing location that lacked moose, but had elk what isn't unfeasible If they were from mainland europe It makes sense too call them what they know best "Elk" as there a large cervid.

Obviously people probably called them loads of differing things, but those two words stuck.

Close , but not quite . Newfoundland was populated by the Beothic people and there were no Moose in NFLD until they were introduced there in the 20th century , a fact that surprises most people . The word Muswa means twig eater in various First Nations languages , including that of my family members , who are Northern Cree . A bull is called Yapew , a cow is Onicaniwmoswa and a calf is called Oskayis .
From what I've read over the years , the American use of the word Elk came from the influx of European settlers, mostly German , that moved into the Eastern US in the 1700s . The Eastern Elk , now extinct , was fairly common at that time . It was a large deer , so they called it an Elk . The name stuck and here we are .
AB

 

[Polar Lynx]

Yes, understand the word 'elk' stems from Scandinavian settlers in nowday US. When they encountered the big deer, which they did not have in home countries, they used the only word for big deer they knew of i.e. 'älg' which later entered the english language as 'elk'. From where the word 'moose' came from is debated. Some say the word simply stood for 'mosse' which in Scandianvian means 'bog' i.e. where the large deer mostly were found.

 

[Freeforester]

‘Sunspots’?

If you like (fixed it for you)

 

[Mungo]

If you like (fixed it for you)

I went to a talk by a Northern Irish bog ecologist once. She had dug up several pairs of elk antlers over the years when taking peat cores.

She was adamant that they went extinct because they were too heavy for the bogs and kept getting stuck.

 

[Sol]

Close , but not quite . Newfoundland was populated by the Beothic people and there were no Moose in NFLD until they were introduced there in the 20th century , a fact that surprises most people . The word Muswa means twig eater in various First Nations languages , including that of my family members , who are Northern Cree . A bull is called Yapew , a cow is Onicaniwmoswa and a calf is called Oskayis .
From what I've read over the years , the American use of the word Elk came from the influx of European settlers, mostly German , that moved into the Eastern US in the 1700s . The Eastern Elk , now extinct , was fairly common at that time . It was a large deer , so they called it an Elk . The name stuck and here we are .
AB

I see thank you! Language adaptation is a very neat subject.

 

[Apthorpe]

I went to a talk by a Northern Irish bog ecologist once.

? A toilet trader?

She had dug up several pairs of elk antlers over the years when taking peat cores.

She was adamant that they went extinct because they were too heavy for the bogs and kept getting stuck.

What was her explanation for bog oaks?
Did she consider the possibilty that elk did not exclusively spend their time jumping into the nearest bog and that considerable areas of Eurasia were not bogs?

 

[VSS]

What was her explanation for bog oaks?
Did she consider the possibilty that elk did not exclusively spend their time jumping into the nearest bog and that considerable areas of Eurasia were not bogs?

That would tend to support her theory.
They evolved into big, heavy animals by feeding up on the oak trees etc, at a time when it wasn't boggy, but then when it became boggy they sank, along with the oaks.
Simplistic I know, but sometimes the simple answers are the right ones.

 

[Apthorpe]

That would tend to support her theory.
They evolved into big, heavy animals by feeding up on the oak trees etc, at a time when it wasn't boggy, but then when it became boggy they sank, along with the oaks.

To my limited understanding elks have legs and can move. Oak trees don't and stand still for centuries, therefore being vulnerable to falling into a forming bog. Much of the elk's range was not a bog, so I don't believe that enough drowned in bogs to cause their extinction. It's not plausible.

Simplistic I know, but sometimes the simple answers are the right ones.

Sometimes.

 

[VSS]

To my limited understanding elks have legs and can move. Oak trees don't and stand still for centuries, therefore being vulnerable to falling into a forming bog. Much of the elk's range was not a bog, so I don't believe that enough drowned in bogs to cause their extinction. It's not plausible.

Sometimes.

Another theory that I either read somewhere or made up was that their antlers had become so big and heavy that they could no longer reach up to browse the higher level vegetation. With their diet then restricted to low level shrubs and grasses, overgrazing soon became an issue, especially in dry summers. The lush greenery of the bog vegetation drew them in, and they sunk.

 

[Apthorpe]

Another theory that I either read somewhere or made up was that their antlers had become so big and heavy that they could no longer reach up to browse the higher level vegetation. With their diet then restricted to low level shrubs and grasses, overgrazing soon became an issue, especially in dry summers. The lush greenery of the bog vegetation drew them in, and they sunk.

I'd read one that forest development made it hard for them on the one hand and acting in the other direction the large antlers were positively selected for by female elk, so that they were actually selecting the least fit instead if the most fit - i.e. that natural selection was making them weaker not stronger in a changing landscape