Cave Bear Hand Replica

$95.00

The Cave Bear was a species of bear that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Description

Cave Bear Hand Replica measures 10.3 inches. Cave Bear Hand Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. Cast from original specimen. Our precise bear hand can be used as a teaching tool, museum bear hand exhibit, home décor bear hand, or office décor bear hand.

The cave bear or Ursus spelaeus had a very broad, domed skull with a steep forehead. Its stout body had long thighs, massive shins and in-turning feet, making it similar in skeletal structure to the brown bear.

Cave bears or Ursus spelaeus were comparable in size to the largest modern-day bears. The average weight for males was 770 to 1,320 lb. while females weighed 495 to 550 lb. Of cave bear skeletons in museums, 90 percent are male due to a misconception that the female skeletons were merely “dwarfs”.

Cave bears or Ursus spelaeus grew larger during glaciations and smaller during interglacials, probably to adjust heat loss rate.

Cave bears or Ursus spelaeus of the last Ice Age lacked the usual two or three premolars present in other bears; to compensate, the last molar is very elongated, with supplementary cusps.

The humerus of the cave bear or Ursus spelaeus was similar in size to that of the polar bear, as were the femora of females.

The femora of male cave bears, however, bore more similarities in size to those of Kodiak bears. Cave bear teeth were very large and show greater wear than most modern bear species.

The morphological features of the cave bear or Ursus spelaeus chewing apparatus, including loss of premolars, have long been suggested to indicate their diets displayed a higher degree of herbivory than the Eurasian brown bear. A solely vegetarian diet has been inferred on the basis of tooth morphology.

Some evidence points toward the occasional inclusion of animal protein in cave bear or Ursus spelaeus diets. Toothmarks on cave bear remains in areas where cave bears are the only recorded potential carnivores suggests occasional cannibalistic scavenging.

The cave bear or Ursus spelaeus was a species of bear that lived in Europe during the Pleistocene and became extinct at the beginning of the Last Glacial Maximum, about 27,500 years ago.

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Additional information

Weight 3 lbs
Dimensions 10.3 in
Cave Bear Facts

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: †U. spelaeus
Binomial name: †Ursus spelaeus