Protarctos
Protarctos is an extinct genus of ursine bear that lived in North America during the Pliocene.[1]
| Protarctos Temporal range: Pliocene | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Ursidae |
| Subfamily: | Ursinae |
| Genus: | †Protarctos Kretzoi, 1945 |
| Species | |
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Protarctos abstrusus Bjork, 1970 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description
Protarctos was about the same size as an Asiatic black bear. Originally described from a tooth found in Idaho, more complete remains of this species have been found in Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada.
Palaeoecology
Protarctos would have lived in a northern boreal-type forest habitat, where there would have been 24-hour darkness in winter, as well as about six months of ice and snow.
Fossils of two different specimens, one a subadult, show signs of dental cavities which suggests its diet included high amounts of fermentable carbohydrates. This is the first and earliest documented occurrence of high-calorie diet in early bears, likely related to fat storage in preparation for the harsh Arctic winters.[2]
References
- Xiaoming Wang; Natalia Rybczynski; C. Richard Harington; Stuart C. White; Richard H. Tedford (2017). "A basal ursine bear (Protarctos abstrusus) from the Pliocene High Arctic reveals Eurasian affinities and a diet rich in fermentable sugars". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): Article number 17722. Bibcode:2017NatSR...717722W. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-17657-8. PMC 5735171. PMID 29255278.
- "Protarctos abstrusus: Ancient Primitive Bear Had a Sweet Tooth". sci-news.com.