![]() In the 19th and early 20th centuries, specimens of Arctodus were occasionally referred to Arctotherium, and vice versa. simus found in the US was unearthed in Fulton County, Indiana the original bones are in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. Richardson in 1878, and were described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1879. simus were found in the Potter Creek Cave, Shasta County, California, by J. The scientific name of the genus, Arctodus, derives from Greek, and means "bear tooth". pristinus from the Ashley Phosphate Beds, South Carolina. pristinus uncovered from Port Kennedy Cave.Īrctodus was first described by Joseph Leidy in 1854, with finds of A. simus likely went extinct due to ecological collapse disrupting the vegetation and prey it relied on. pristinus, this was likely due to climate change and competition with other ursids, such as the black bear and Tremarctos floridanus. ![]() The cause behind these extinctions is unclear, but in the case of A. simus disappearing ~12,000 years ago in the Quaternary extinction event, being one of the last recorded megafauna to go extinct in North America. pristinus went extinct around 300,000 years ago, with A. However, both species went extinct in the Pleistocene. Of these short-faced bears, Arctodus was the most widespread in North America. simus seems to have preferred open woodlands, but was an adaptable species, taking advantage of many habitats and feeding opportunities.Īrctodus belongs to the Tremarctinae subfamily of bears, which are endemic to the Americas. Studies suggest that Arctodus simus both browsed on vegetation and consumed browsing herbivores, such as deer, camelids, and tapir. The largest males stood at 1.6 meters at the shoulder, and up to 4 meters tall on their rear legs. simus ranged between 300 kg to 950 kg, with females clustering at ≤500 kg, and males around 800 kg. However, Arctodus, like other bears, was highly sexually dimorphic. Today considered to be an enormous omnivore, Arctodus simus is believed to be one of the largest known terrestrial mammalian carnivorans that has ever existed. simus was larger, is known from more complete remains, and is considered one of the most charismatic of North America's megafauna. pristinus, but both species likely overlapped in the Middle Pleistocene. simus had a broader range, with most finds being from the Late Pleistocene of the US, Mexico and Canada. ![]() pristinus was largely restricted to the Early Pleistocene of the eastern United States, whereas A. Both species are relatively rare in the fossil record- A. There are two recognized species: the lesser short-faced bear ( Arctodus pristinus) and the giant short-faced bear ( Arctodus simus), also known as the bulldog bear. Arctodus is an extinct genus of short-faced bear that inhabited North America during the Pleistocene (~2.5 Mya until 12,000 years ago).
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