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The Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus)Existing in Europe during the Pleistocene and only becoming extinct 24,000 years ago, the cave bear was one of the largest bears to have ever called Europe home. Early researchers mistook fossils of these ancient bruins for polar bears, but investigation revealed a species related to the modern brown bear, broader skulls, longer thighs, and robust shins. Cave bears are about as large as the biggest modern bears.
The characteristic that set cave bears apart from other bears is of course, their tendency to live in caves year round. Unlike other bears, who only stay in caves briefly during hibernation, In parts of Russia, where the bears frequently interacted with cave lions, the two predators battled constantly for territory. Both bears and lions would occasionally prey on each others’ young, and sometimes researchers would discover their skeletons intermixed in the same cave. Naturally, the winner of these fierce battles would also claim the cave for themselves. - http://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/2015/11/02/five-prehistoric-bear-species-mop-floor-modern-bears/ |
the worlds largest bears (Arctotherium angustidens)This is quite simply, the largest bear ever discovered, a contender for the largest carnivorous land mammal ever to live. The Arctotherium angustidens was isolated to South America during the Pleistocene epoch 2.5 million to 11,000 years ago. This bear was so massive that scientists believe it weighed between 2,000 and 4,000 pounds, although newer estimates have brought down the upper end of that scale to around 3,500 pounds. The Arctotherium’s closest living relative, spectacled bears, only weighs less than a ninth of these behemoths. - http://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/2015/11/02/five-prehistoric-bear-species-mop-floor-modern-bears/
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The giant short-faced bear (Arctodus simus)
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The king polar bear (Ursus maritimus tyrannus)Very little is known about this ancient species of polar bear, but what is known is from a single fragmentary ulna discovered near London. It is believed that the species appeared 130,000 years ago and provided the evolutionary link between grizzly bears and modern polar bears.
Due to the lack of a complete skeleton or other collaborating evidence, scientists can only guess at what role this bear had. The king polar bear is believed to have the bone structure of a grizzly bear and the arctic adaptations of the polar bear. As one of the largest bear species, it often took on large prey such as buffalo or even young mammoths, but scientists believe that like most large bear species, the tyrannus primarily forced other predators off their own meals. |
The bear with the crushing bite (Agriotherium africanum)This bear is not all that special at first glance (because I couldn't get a good photo for it :/ sorry!). It’s about as large as a modern grizzly, and except for the raccoon-like pattern on its face, it looks much like a grizzly as well. The africanum has the strongest bite of any bear, extinct or living, and it could crush straight through almost anything. Scientists believe that the bear evolved for this trait to handle the stress of struggling prey on its teeth, but over time the africanum found itself capable of crushing bone and muscle, making going for the vitals only a formality.
When this powerful bear was not hunting for itself, it munched through carrion and used its specialized jaw to severe off entire parts of prey to save for later. |