Cave bear canine

Ursus spelaeus
Common name
Cave bear canine
Scientific name
Ursus spelaeus
Type
Fossil
Other preserved specimens of Cave Bear.
  • MVSP-00233
  • MVSP-00232
  • MVSP-00226
  • MVSP-00224
  • MVSP-00222
  • MVSP-00221
  • MVSP-00220
  • MVSP-00215
  • MVSP-00214
  • MVSP-00225
  • MVSP-00223
  • MVSP-00219
  • MVSP-00218
  • MVSP-00217
  • MVSP-00216

Description

The cave bear (Ursus spelaeus), also known as cave bear, was a species of bear that lived throughout Eurasia in the Pleistocene.

The size of this bear was very large, and sexual dimorphism was very evident: males could reach 3 meters in height (in standing position) and could weigh up to 1,000 kilograms (when close to hibernation), while females were about half the size. Its average size was therefore larger than that of larger grizzly bears and the kodiak bear.
The teeth of this large animal would seem to recall a diet tending toward a more herbivorous regimen. Not surprisingly, some authors liken it to the Marsican bear, also typically vegetarian (or nearly so).
The evolutionary tendency of the cave bear is to greatly reduce the size of its teeth, which are increasingly less feral and increasingly suitable for chewing (consistent with the limitations of a carnivore's teeth).
In addition to the peculiarity of the teeth, an immediate diagnostic feature between the skull of the cave bear and that of the brown bear is the fronto-nasal profile, equipped with a well-pronounced "stop" in the former, almost straight in the latter.

The cave bear's build was indeed massive; its paws were equipped with long, strong claws, tools that could become fearsome when used against prehistoric humans.
In fact, these bears often competed with our ancestors for cave ownership (but thanks to the intimidating use of fire, bears were supplanted by humans).

Scientific Classification

Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Family
Ursidae
Genus
Ursus
Species
spelaeus (Johann Christian Rosemuller, 1794)
Scientific name
Ursus spelaeus

Preserved specimen

Canine of an adult cave bear specimen.

Cataloging

SIRBeC
7s060-00234

Continue exploring

In the Paleontology Collection.

  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00073
  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00075
  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00083
  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00081
  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00079
  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00077
  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00204
  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00069
  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00070
  • Paleontology
  • MVSP-00011

Continue exploring

Discover more Collections

Association “Storia Natura e Vita”
Piazza Camozzi, 2
22010 Grandola ed Uniti (CO) –
Italy

VAT ID: IT 03290790132
Tax ID: 93007310134

[email protected]

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