Mammals that no longer
exist today lived in Japan
during the Paleolithic
period.

Whoa, really? There were
animals like that?

Aye. Examples
include the Japanese
giant deer and the
Naumann's elephant.

There were elephants!
And giant deer...
but they still live there,
right?

Nay, Naumann's
elephant is smaller than
the Asian and African
elephants, and lived in
the Japanese
archipelago until about
20,000 years past.

The Japanese giant deer
had larger antlers and a
larger body than the
deer we know today.

Why doesn't it
survive in modern
times?

The reason for their
extinction is unknown,
but there are several
theories, including
changes in the global
environment and
overhunting by humans.