Ursus spelaeus
The cave bear, Ursus spelaeus, was an
important component of Europe’s Pleistocene mammalian biota. The species
is represented by abundant fossil bones, typically found in cave deposits (the
species name “spelaeus” means “cave”). Like extant bears, Ursus
spelaeus was omnivorous. It went extinct near the end of the
Pleistocene (~10,000 years ago).
Cave bear fossils have long been known - the species
was first described & named in 1794 by Johann Christian Rosenmüller &
Johann Christian August Heinroth.
Classification: Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Mammalia, Carnivora,
Ursidae
Ursus spelaeus cave bear skeleton from the Pleistocene of
France. Specimen owned by Princeton University & on public display at
Carnegie Museum of Natural History (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA).
Ursus spelaeus cave bear skull from the Pleistocene of France.
Ursus spelaeus cave bear skeleton from the Pleistocene of France
Ursus spelaeus cave bear reconstruction (from Carnegie Museum of
Natural History signage, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).