The ancient ancestor to our modern day bears, this prehistoric front leg bone fossil comes from Ursus spelaeus or the "Cave Bear". The Cave Bear was a massive omnivore that lived in Europe during the Pleistocene period and became extinct around 28,000 - 24,000 years ago. Some fossils have been dated to over 100,000 years old!
To describe this species, the word "cave" and the scientific name spelaeus are used because fossils of this species are predominantly found in caves. Unlike modern bears which use caves mainly for hibernation, the prevailing view is that Cave Bears spent much more time during their lives inside of caves. It is not uncommon to find the fossilized skeletal remains of several cave bear families from different generations inside of the same cave.
Recent studies have determined that the cave bear is related to the modern-day brown bear and polar bear, but was significantly larger. Adult males averaged half a ton in weight, and when standing on their hind legs may have been up to 10 feet tall!
Approx. 9.5" L x 3.5" W x 3" Deep
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