Cave Bear Skull Replica

$375.00

The Cave Bear was a prehistoric species of bear that inhabited Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene epoch. Known for its massive size, with some individuals reaching up to 11 feet in length, the cave bear had a robust build and a pronounced hump on its shoulders.

Description

Cave Bear Skull Replica measures 19 inches or 48cm. Cave Bear Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Made in USA. Scientific name is Ursus spelaeus. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum bear skull exhibit, home décor skull, or office décor skull.

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 lbs. 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. Indeed, 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.

Cave Bear Facts:
Temporal range: Middle to Late Pleistocene
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: †U. spelaeus
Binomial name: †Ursus spelaeus

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Additional information

Weight 9 lbs
Dimensions 19 in