The giant short-faced bear, Arctodus simus, was an extinct bear that lived in North America during the Pleistocene and is counted among the best known animals of the Ice Age megafauna. It evolved from the smaller lesser short-faced bear, Arctodus pristinus, and had a much broader range, with most finds from the Late Pleistocene of the United States, Mexico and Canada. Adults ranged between 300 and 950 kilograms, with males far larger than females and an average weight of about 625 kilograms, and standing on its hind legs it reached 2.4 to 3.4 metres. It is now thought to have been an enormous omnivore that browsed on C3 vegetation and took browsing herbivores such as deer, camelids and tapir. It preferred temperate open woodlands but was adaptable. It disappeared about 12,800 years ago in the Late Pleistocene extinctions, probably when ecological collapse disrupted the vegetation and prey on which it relied.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to People Living or Extinct Conservation Status Body Size Band Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source Arctodus (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Arctodus (Wikipedia)Lead, rangeQuote, Lead, range
whereas A. simus had a broader range, with most finds being from the Late Pleistocene of the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Arctodus (Wikipedia)Lead, rangeQuote, Lead, range
whereas A. simus had a broader range, with most finds being from the Late Pleistocene of the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Arctodus (Wikipedia)Lead, rangeQuote, Lead, range
whereas A. simus had a broader range, with most finds being from the Late Pleistocene of the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Sources
1. Arctodus (Wikipedia)
Lead, extinction
A. simus likely went extinct due to ecological collapse disrupting the vegetation and prey on which it relied.
Lead, last record
with A. simus disappearing about 12,800 years ago in the Late Pleistocene extinctions
Lead, diet
Today considered to be an enormous omnivore
Lead, size
Arctodus simus is believed to be one of the largest known terrestrial carnivorans that has ever existed.
Lead, habitat
The species preferred temperate open woodlands, but was adaptable, taking advantage of many habitats and feeding opportunities.
Lead, range
whereas A. simus had a broader range, with most finds being from the Late Pleistocene of the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Interactions with humans, Exploitation
An Arctodus simus was processed for subsistence (butchery marks indicated skinning, de-fleshing and disarticulation) and tool production by Clovis people
Child Taxon Of: Ursidae, Lead, subfamily of bears
Arctodus belongs to the Tremarctinae subfamily of bears, which are endemic to the Americas.
In Group: Bears, Lead, subfamily of bears, bear group
Arctodus belongs to the Tremarctinae subfamily of bears, which are endemic to the Americas.
In Biome: Temperate Forest, Lead, woodland habitat
The species preferred temperate open woodlands, but was adaptable, taking advantage of many habitats and feeding opportunities.
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