Formerly or currently considered subspecies or populations of brown bears ( ursus arctos ) have been listed as follows:
97-727: 15, see text and article The brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America . Of the carnivorans , it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear , which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on average. The brown bear is a sexually dimorphic species, as adult males are larger and more compactly built than females. The fur ranges in color from cream to reddish to dark brown. It has evolved large hump muscles, unique among bears, and paws up to 21 cm (8.3 in) wide and 36 cm (14 in) long, to effectively dig through dirt. Its teeth are similar to those of other bears and reflect its dietary plasticity . Throughout
194-463: A 2017 phylogenetic study revealed nine clades, including one representing polar bears. As of 2005, 15 extant, or recently extinct, subspecies were recognized by the general scientific community. DNA analysis shows that, apart from recent, human-caused population fragmentation , brown bears in North America are generally part of a single interconnected population system, with the exception of
291-683: A body mass of 500–685 kg (1,102–1,510 lb) by fall, putting the subtype well within Kodiak bear sizes and leading it to be considered the largest of the extant Russian subtypes. However, a diminishment in body size of U. a. berigianus has been noted, mostly likely in correlation with overhunting. In the 1960s and 1970s, most adult Kamchatkan brown bears weighed merely between 150 and 285 kg (331 and 628 lb); however, mean weights of mature male bears have been reported as averaging 350 to 450 kg (770 to 990 lb) in 2005. Bear#Etymology Bears are carnivoran mammals of
388-880: A cave, crevice, cavernous tree roots, or hollow logs. Brown bears have one of the largest brains of any extant carnivoran relative to their body size and have been shown to engage in tool use, which requires advanced cognitive abilities. This species is mostly solitary, although bears may gather in large numbers at major food sources (e.g., open garbage dumps or rivers containing spawning salmon ) and form social hierarchies based on age and size. Adult male bears are particularly aggressive and are avoided by adolescent and subadult males, both at concentrated feeding opportunities and chance encounters. Females with cubs rival adult males in aggression and are much more intolerant of other bears than single females. Young adolescent males tend to be least aggressive and have been observed in nonantagonistic interactions with each other. Dominance between bears
485-532: A crossbreeding of a brown bear with a polar bear . It has occurred both in captivity and in the wild. In 2006, the occurrence of this hybrid was confirmed by testing the DNA of a strange-looking bear that had been shot in the Canadian Arctic , and seven more hybrids have since been confirmed in the same region, all descended from a single female polar bear. Previously, the hybrid had been produced in zoos and
582-613: A diminished body mass in sub-Arctic brown bears, based on the weights of bears from northern Finland and Yakutia . Head-and-body length in grizzly bears averages from 1.8 to 2.13 m (5 ft 11 in to 7 ft 0 in) while in Eurasian brown bears it similarly averages from 1.7 to 2.1 m (5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 11 in). Adult shoulder height averaged 95.2 cm (3 ft 1 in) in Yellowstone (for any bear measured five or more years old) and
679-1161: A distinctively darker, nearly black tone at the paws and a yellowish tinge at the tip of each hair. The Cantabrian brown bear population in Spain is considered endangered . The bear population in the Pyrenees stems mostly from bears reintroduced from Slovenia , with one or two remaining original males. Brown bear size, most often measured in body mass, is highly variable and is correlated to extent of food access. Therefore, bears whose range in areas with access to openings, cover, and moisture or water are on average larger, whereas those bears that range into enclosed forested areas or arid, sparsely vegetated regions, both of which tend to be suboptimal foraging habitat for brown bears, average smaller. The brown bear in northern Europe (i.e., Scandinavia , eastern Europe , western Russia ), Yellowstone National Park or interior Alaska seasonally weigh on average between 115 and 360 kg (254 and 794 lb), from mean low adult female weights in spring to male bear mean high weights in fall. Brown bears from
776-560: A female for her entire oestrus period of approximately two weeks, but usually are unable to retain her for the entire time. Copulation is prolonged and lasts for over 20 minutes. Subspecies of brown bear The Cantabrian brown bear is the largest wild animal on the Iberian Peninsula , although it is also one of the smallest of the brown bears, weighing between 92 and 180 kg (203 and 397 lb) as an adult. Its fur varies from pale cream to dark brown, but always with
873-509: A given area likely plays the largest part in such weight variations. The grizzly is especially variable in size, as grizzlies from the largest populations, i.e., interior Alaska , with the heaviest weights recorded in Nelchina , Alaska , nearly three times heavier in males than the smallest grizzlies from Alberta , Canada 's Jasper National Park . Between the sexes, the grizzlies of Nelchina average around 207 kg (456 lb), whereas
970-406: A head-and-body length of 1.4 to 2.8 m (4 ft 7 in to 9 ft 2 in) and a shoulder height of 70 to 153 cm (28 to 60 in). The tail is relatively short, as in all bears, ranging from 6 to 22 cm (2.4 to 8.7 in) in length. The smallest brown bears, females during spring among barren-ground populations, can weigh so little as to roughly match the body mass of males of
1067-651: A hind foot and a voucher skull were examined and verified by the Guinness Book of World Records . Claims have been made of larger brown bears, but these appear to be poorly documented and unverified and some, even if recited by reputable authors, may be dubious hunters' claims. The largest variety of brown bear from Eurasia is the Kamchatkan brown bear ( U. a. beringianus ). In the Kamchatkan brown bears from past decades, old males have been known to reach
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#17327757496861164-730: A median of 98.5 cm (3 ft 3 in) (for adults only 10 or more years old) in Slovakia . Standing on its hindlegs, a posture only assumed occasionally, typically-sized brown bears can reportedly range from 1.83 to 2.75 m (6 ft 0 in to 9 ft 0 in) in standing height. Exceptionally large inland specimens have been reported in several parts of North America, Europe, Russia and even Hokkaido. The largest recorded grizzlies from Yellowstone and Washington both weighed approximately 500 kg (1,100 lb) and Eastern European bears have been weighed in Slovakia and Bulgaria of up to 400 kg (880 lb), about double
1261-532: A polar bear are quite different, being notably shorter but broader with a strong curve and sharper point. The species has large paws; the rear feet measure 21 to 36 cm (8.3 to 14.2 in) long, while the forefeet tend to measure 40% less. Brown bears are the only extant bears with a hump at the top of their shoulder, which is made entirely of muscle. This feature developed presumably to impart more force in digging, which helps during foraging and facilitates den construction prior to hibernation. Brown bears inhabit
1358-671: A serious threat, as oncoming vehicles may collide with crossing animals. Poaching has been cited as another mortality factor. In one instance, a 3-year-long survey in the Russian Far East detected the illegal shipping of brown bear gallbladders to Southeast Asian countries. The purpose and motive behind the trade is unknown. An action plan in 2000 aimed to conserve brown bears in Europe by mitigating human–wildlife conflict , educating farm owners as to sustainable practices, and preserving and expanding remaining forests. Compensation
1455-426: A shoulder height of 1.33 m (4 ft 4 in). When averaged between their spring low and fall high weights from both localities, males from Kodiak island and coastal Alaska weighed from 312 to 389 kg (688 to 858 lb) with a mean body mass of 357 kg (787 lb) while the same figures in females were 202 to 256 kg (445 to 564 lb) with a mean body mass of 224 kg (494 lb). By
1552-461: A successful male will mate with two females in a span of one to three weeks. The adult female brown bear is similarly promiscuous, mating with up to four, sometimes even eight, males while in heat and potentially mating with two in a single day. Females come into oestrus every three to four years, with an outside range of 2.4 to 5.7 years. The urine markings of a female in oestrus can attract several males via scent. Dominant males may try to sequester
1649-429: A yellowish-brown or whitish collar across the neck, chest, and shoulders. Even within well-defined subspecies, individuals may show highly variable hues of brown. North American grizzlies can be from dark brown (almost black) to cream (almost white) or yellowish-brown and often have darker-colored legs. The common name "grizzly" stems from their typical coloration, with the hairs on their back usually being brownish-black at
1746-451: Is asserted by making a frontal orientation, showing off canine teeth, muzzle twisting, and neck stretching, to which a subordinate will respond with a lateral orientation, by turning away and dropping the head, and by sitting or lying down. During combat, bears use their paws to strike their opponents in the chest or shoulders and bite the head or neck. Several different facial expressions have been documented in brown bears. The "relaxed-face"
1843-533: Is from the Proto-Indo-European word *ǵʰwḗr- ~ *ǵʰwér "wild animal". This terminology for the animal originated as a taboo avoidance term: proto-Germanic tribes replaced their original word for bear— arkto —with this euphemistic expression out of fear that speaking the animal's true name might cause it to appear. According to author Ralph Keyes , this is the oldest known euphemism . Bear taxon names such as Arctoidea and Helarctos come from
1940-522: Is from, as most accepted subtypes vary widely in size. This is in part due to sexual dimorphism , as male brown bears average at least 30% larger than females in most subtypes. Individual bears vary in size seasonally, weighing the least in spring due to lack of foraging during hibernation, and the most in late fall, after a period of hyperphagia to put on additional weight to prepare for hibernation. Brown bears generally weigh 80 to 600 kg (180 to 1,320 lb), with males outweighing females. They have
2037-404: Is harsher and is made continuously (approximately twice per second). Growls and roars are made when aggressive. Growling is "harsh" and " guttural " and can range from a simple grrr to a rumble. A rumbling growl can escalate to a roar when the bear is charging. Roaring is described as "thunderous" and can travel 2 km (1.2 mi). Mothers and cubs wanting physical contact will bawl, which
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#17327757496862134-560: Is heard as waugh!, waugh! . Brown bears usually inhabit vast home ranges; however, they are not highly territorial. Several adult bears roam freely over the same vicinity without contention, unless rights to a fertile female or food sources are being contested. Despite their lack of traditional territorial behavior, adult males seem to have a "personal zone" within which other bears are not tolerated if they are seen. Males always wander further than females, due to such behavior giving increasing access to both females and food sources. Females have
2231-416: Is made during everyday activities, a face where the ears pointed to the sides and the mouth closed or slackly open. During social play, bears make "relaxed open-mouth face" in which the mouth is open, with a curled upper lip and hanging lower lip, and the ears alert and shifting. When looking at another animal at a distance, the bear makes an "alert face" as the ears are cocked and alert, the eyes wide open with
2328-711: Is noted in grizzly bears from the sub-Arctic zone, from the Brooks Range to the Mackenzie Mountains , presumably because food becomes much sparser in such regions, although perhaps the most northerly recorded grizzly bears ever, in the Northwest Territories , was a large and healthy male weighing 320 kg (710 lb), more than twice as much as an average male weighs near the Arctic Circle. Data from Eurasia similarly indicates
2425-1036: Is one of eight extant species in the bear family Ursidae and of six extant species in the subfamily Ursinae . Giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ) [REDACTED] Spectacled bear ( Tremarctos ornatus ) [REDACTED] Sloth bear ( Melursus ursinus ) [REDACTED] Sun bear ( Helarctos malayanus ) [REDACTED] Asian black bear ( Ursus thibetanus ) [REDACTED] American black bear ( Ursus americanus ) [REDACTED] Polar bear ( Ursus maritimus ) [REDACTED] Brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) [REDACTED] Giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ) [REDACTED] Spectacled bear ( Tremarctos ornatus ) [REDACTED] Sloth bear ( Melursus ursinus ) [REDACTED] Sun bear ( Helarctos malayanus ) [REDACTED] Asian black bear ( Ursus thibetanus ) [REDACTED] American black bear ( Ursus americanus ) [REDACTED] Polar bear ( Ursus maritimus ) [REDACTED] Brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) [REDACTED] The brown bear
2522-514: Is smaller than the others, and is usually absent in adults. It is usually lost at an early age, leaving no trace of its alveolus in the jaw. The first three molars of the lower jaw are very weak, and are often lost at an early age. The teeth of brown bears reflect their dietary plasticity and are broadly similar to those of other bears. They are reliably larger than teeth of American black bears , but average smaller in molar length than those of polar bears . Brown bears have large, curved claws, with
2619-574: Is sometimes referred to as the bruin , from Middle English . This name originated in the fable History of Reynard the Fox , translated by William Caxton , from the Middle Dutch word bruun or bruyn , meaning "brown". In the mid-19th-century United States, the brown bear was given the nicknames "Old Ephraim" and "Moccasin Joe". The scientific name of the brown bear, Ursus arctos , comes from
2716-642: Is thought to have evolved from the Etruscan bear ( Ursus etruscus ) in Asia during the early Pliocene . A genetic analysis indicated that the brown bear lineage diverged from the cave bear species-complex approximately 1.2–1.4 million years ago, but did not clarify if U. savini persisted as a paraspecies for the brown bear before perishing. The oldest brown bear fossils occur in Asia from about 500,000 to 300,000 years ago. They entered Europe 250,000 years ago and North Africa shortly after. Brown bear remains from
2813-648: The Bering land bridge may have been possible during a major sea level low stand as early as the late Eocene (about 37 Mya) and continuing into the early Oligocene. European genera morphologically very similar to Allocyon , and to the much younger American Kolponomos (about 18 Mya), are known from the Oligocene, including Amphicticeps and Amphicynodon . There has been various morphological evidence linking amphicynodontines with pinnipeds , as both groups were semi-aquatic, otter-like mammals. In addition to
2910-530: The Eurasian brown bear and is believed to have a population of only about 50 bears. The brown bear is considered to be one of the most popular of the world's charismatic megafauna . It has been kept in zoos since ancient times, and has been tamed and trained to perform in circuses and other acts. For thousands of years, the brown bear has had a role in human culture , and is often featured in literature , art , folklore , and mythology . The brown bear
3007-583: The Isthmus of Panama . Their earliest fossil representative is Plionarctos in North America (c. 10–2 Ma). This genus is probably the direct ancestor to the North American short-faced bears (genus Arctodus ), the South American short-faced bears ( Arctotherium ), and the spectacled bears, Tremarctos , represented by both an extinct North American species ( T. floridanus ), and
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3104-548: The Last Glacial Maximum (>25,000 BP). Brown-bear fossils discovered in Ontario , Ohio , Kentucky , and Labrador show that the species occurred farther east than indicated in historic records. In North America, two types of the subspecies Ursus arctos horribilis are generally recognized—the coastal brown bear and the inland grizzly bear. A grizzly–polar bear hybrid is a rare ursid hybrid resulting from
3201-587: The Pyrenees in 2010, in a range shared between Spain, France, and Andorra , and some 210 animals in Asturias , Cantabria , Galicia , and León , in the Picos de Europa and adjacent areas in 2013) in the west, to Russia in the east, and from Sweden and Finland in the north to Romania (5,000–6,000), Bulgaria (900–1,200), Slovakia (with about 600–800 animals), Slovenia (500–700 animals), and Greece (with Karamanlidis et al. 2015 estimating >450 animals) in
3298-702: The Ussuri brown bear ( U. a. lasiotus ) and the East Siberian brown bear ( U. a. collaris ) may vary widely in size. In some cases, the big adult males of these populations may have matched the Kodiak bear in size. East Siberian brown bears from outside the sub-Arctic and mainland Ussuri brown bears average about the same size as the largest-bodied populations of grizzly bears, i.e., those of similar latitude in Alaska, and have been credited with weights ranging from 100 to 400 kg (220 to 880 lb) throughout
3395-530: The Yukon Delta , interior British Columbia , Jasper National Park and southern Europe (i.e., Spain , the Balkans ) can weigh from 55 to 175 kg (121 to 386 lb) on average. These mass variations represent only two widespread subspecies, the grizzly bear in North America and the Eurasian brown bear in Europe. Due to the lack of genetic variation within subspecies, the environmental conditions in
3492-753: The family Ursidae ( / ˈ ɜːr s ɪ d iː , - d aɪ / ). They are classified as caniforms , or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bears are found on the continents of North America , South America , and Eurasia . Common characteristics of modern bears include large bodies with stocky legs, long snouts, small rounded ears, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and short tails. While
3589-533: The polar bear is mostly carnivorous , and the giant panda is mostly herbivorous , the remaining six species are omnivorous with varying diets. With the exception of courting individuals and mothers with their young, bears are typically solitary animals . They may be diurnal or nocturnal and have an excellent sense of smell . Despite their heavy build and awkward gait, they are adept runners, climbers, and swimmers. Bears use shelters, such as caves and logs, as their dens; most species occupy their dens during
3686-399: The spectacled bear ), and Ursinae (containing six species divided into one to three genera, depending on the authority). Nuclear chromosome analysis show that the karyotype of the six ursine bears is nearly identical, each having 74 chromosomes ( see Ursid hybrid ), whereas the giant panda has 42 chromosomes and the spectacled bear 52. These smaller numbers can be explained by
3783-497: The withers . The winter hairs are thin, yet rough to the touch. The summer fur is much shorter and sparser, with its length and density varying among geographic ranges. Adults have massive, heavily built, concave skulls, which are large in proportion to the body. The projections of the skull are well developed. Skull lengths of Russian brown bears tend to be 31.5 to 45.5 cm (12.4 to 17.9 in) for males, and 27.5 to 39.7 cm (10.8 to 15.6 in) for females. Brown bears have
3880-448: The "biting face" is similar to the "relaxed open-mouth face" except the ears are flattened and the eyes are wide enough to expose the sclera . Both the "jaw gape face" and the "biting face" are made when the bear is aggressive and can quickly switch between them. Brown bears also produce various vocalizations. Huffing occurs when the animal is tense, while woofing is made when alarmed. Both sounds are produced by exhalations, though huffing
3977-470: The Asian bile bear market. The IUCN lists six bear species as vulnerable or endangered , and even least concern species, such as the brown bear , are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The poaching and international trade of these most threatened populations are prohibited, but still ongoing. The English word "bear" comes from Old English bera and belongs to a family of names for
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4074-611: The IUCN. However, the California grizzly bear , Ungava brown bear , Atlas bear , and Mexican grizzly bear , as well as brown bear populations in the Pacific Northwest , were hunted to extinction in the 19th and early 20th centuries and many of the southern Asian subspecies are highly endangered. The Syrian brown bear ( U. a. syriacus ) is very rare and it has been extirpated from more than half of its historic range. One of
4171-607: The Japanese island of Hokkaidō , which holds the largest number of non-Russian brown bears in eastern Asia, with about 2,000–3,000 animals. While the brown bear's range has shrunk and it has faced local extinctions, it remains listed as a least-concern species by the IUCN , with a total population of approximately 200,000. As of 2012, the brown bear and the American black bear are the only bear species not classified as threatened by
4268-619: The Jasper grizzlies averaged about 74 kg (163 lb). The enclosed taiga habitat of Jasper presumably is sub-optimal foraging habitat for grizzlies, requiring them to range widely and feed sparsely, thus reducing body weights and putting bears at risk of starvation, while in surfaces areas in the tundra and prairie are apparently ideal for feeding. Even elsewhere in Alberta , weights averaging more than twice those of Jasper grizzlies have been recorded. A gradual diminishment in body size
4365-701: The Latin ursus , meaning "bear", and the Greek ἄρκτος / arktos , also meaning "bear". Carl Linnaeus scientifically described the species under the name Ursus arctos in the 1758 edition of Systema Naturae . Brown bear taxonomy and subspecies classification has been described as "formidable and confusing", with few authorities listing the same set of subspecies. There are hundreds of obsolete brown-bear subspecies. As many as 90 subspecies have been proposed. A 2008 DNA analysis identified as few as five main clades , which comprise all extant brown bear species, while
4462-597: The Pleistocene period are common in the British Isles , where, amongst other factors, they may have contributed to the extinction of cave bears ( Ursus spelaeus ). Brown bears first emigrated to North America from Eurasia via Beringia during the Illinoian Glaciation . Genetic evidence suggests that several brown bear populations migrated into North America, aligning with the glacial cycles of
4559-493: The Pleistocene. The founding population of most North American brown bears arrived first, with the genetic lineage developing around ~177,000 BP . Genetic divergences suggest that brown bears first migrated south during MIS-5 (~92,000–83,000 BP), upon the opening of the ice-free corridor, After a local extinction in Beringia ~33,000 BP, two new but closely related lineages repopulated Alaska and northern Canada from Eurasia after
4656-536: The Yukon and Northwest Territories , south through British Columbia , and through the western half of Alberta . The Alaskan population is estimated at a healthy 30,000 individuals. In the lower 48 states, they are repopulating slowly, but steadily along the Rockies and the western Great Plains. In Europe, in 2010, there were 14,000 brown bears in ten fragmented populations, from Spain (estimated at only 20–25 animals in
4753-711: The advantage of inhabiting smaller territories, which decreases the likelihood of encounters with male bears who may endanger their cubs. In areas where food is abundant, such as coastal Alaska, home ranges for females and males are up to 24 km (9.3 sq mi) and 89 km (34 sq mi), respectively. Similarly, in British Columbia , bears of the two sexes travel in relatively compact home ranges of 115 and 318 km (44 and 123 sq mi). In Yellowstone National Park , home ranges for females are up to 281 km (108 sq mi) and up to 874 km (337 sq mi) for males. In Romania ,
4850-507: The ancient Greek ἄρκτος ( arktos ), meaning bear, as do the names " arctic " and " antarctic ", via the name of the constellation Ursa Major , the "Great Bear", prominent in the northern sky. Bear taxon names such as Ursidae and Ursus come from Latin Ursus/Ursa , he-bear/she-bear. The female first name " Ursula ", originally derived from a Christian saint 's name, means "little she-bear" (diminutive of Latin ursa ). In Switzerland,
4947-415: The average weight for male bears in these regions. Among the grizzly and Eurasian brown bear subspecies, the largest reportedly shot from each being 680 kg (1,500 lb) and 481 kg (1,060 lb), respectively. The latter bear, from Western Russia , reportedly measured just under 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in head-and-body length. In Eurasia , the size of bears roughly increases from
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#17327757496865044-545: The average weight of male bears of this subtype from central Siberia and the Chukchi Peninsula . In linear measurements and mean body mass, several subspecies may vie for the title of smallest subtype, although thus far, their reported body masses broadly overlaps with those of the smaller-bodied populations of Eurasian brown bears and grizzly bears. Leopold (1959) described the now-extinct Mexican grizzly bear ( U. a. nelsoni ) that, according to Rausch (1963), as
5141-405: The base and whitish-cream at the tips, giving them their distinctive "grizzled" color. Apart from the cinnamon subspecies of the American black bear ( U. americanus cinnamonum ), the brown bear is the only modern bear species to typically appear truly brown. The brown bear's winter fur is very thick and long, especially in northern subspecies, and can reach 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) at
5238-760: The bear family with other carnivorans is shown in the following phylogenetic tree , which is based on the molecular phylogenetic analysis of six genes in Flynn (2005) with the musteloids updated following the multigene analysis of Law et al. (2018). Feliformia [REDACTED] Canidae [REDACTED] Ursidae [REDACTED] Pinnipedia [REDACTED] Mephitidae [REDACTED] Ailuridae [REDACTED] Procyonidae [REDACTED] Mustelidae [REDACTED] Note that although they are called "bears" in some languages, red pandas and raccoons and their close relatives are not bears, but rather musteloids . There are two phylogenetic hypotheses on
5335-468: The bear in Germanic languages , such as Swedish björn , also used as a first name. This form is conventionally said to be related to a Proto-Indo-European word for "brown", so that "bear" would mean "the brown one". However, Ringe notes that while this etymology is semantically plausible, a word meaning "brown" of this form cannot be found in Proto-Indo-European. He suggests instead that "bear"
5432-695: The bears of the Alexander Archipelago is unusual in that these island populations carry polar bear DNA, presumably originating from a population of polar bears that was left behind at the end of the Pleistocene , but have since been connected with adjacent mainland populations through the movement of males, to the point where their nuclear genomes indicate more than 90% brown bear ancestry. MtDNA analysis revealed that brown bears are apparently divided into five different clades, some of which coexist or co-occur in different regions. The brown bear
5529-543: The broadest range of habitats of any living bear species. They seem to have no altitudinal preferences and have been recorded from sea level to an elevation of 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in the Himalayas . In most of their range, brown bears seem to prefer semi-open country, with a scattering of vegetation, that can allow them a resting spot during the day. However, they have been recorded as inhabiting every variety of northern temperate forest known to occur. This species
5626-432: The broadest skull of any extant ursine bear. The width of the zygomatic arches in males is 17.5 to 27.7 cm (6.9 to 10.9 in), and 14.7 to 24.7 cm (5.8 to 9.7 in) in females. Brown bears have strong jaws: the incisors and canine teeth are large, with the lower canines being strongly curved. The first three molars of the upper jaw are underdeveloped and single-crowned with one root. The second upper molar
5723-611: The brown bear's range has shrunk, and it has faced local extinctions across its wide range, it remains listed as a least concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with a total estimated population in 2017 of 110,000. Populations that were hunted to extinction in the 19th and 20th centuries are the Atlas bear of North Africa and the Californian , Ungavan and Mexican populations of
5820-521: The brown bear's range, it inhabits mainly forested habitats in elevations of up to 5,000 m (16,000 ft). It is omnivorous , and consumes a variety of plant and animal species. Contrary to popular belief, the brown bear derives 90% of its diet from plants. When hunting, it will target animals as small as insects and rodents to those as large as moose or muskoxen . In parts of coastal Alaska , brown bears predominantly feed on spawning salmon that come near shore to lay their eggs. For most of
5917-521: The brown bears (which includes the polar bear ). Modern brown bears evolved from U. minimus via Ursus etruscus , which itself is ancestral to the extinct Pleistocene cave bear . Species of Ursinae have migrated repeatedly into North America from Eurasia as early as 4 Mya during the early Pliocene. The polar bear is the most recently evolved species and descended from a population of brown bears that became isolated in northern latitudes by glaciation 400,000 years ago. The relationship of
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#17327757496866014-570: The coastal populations weigh about twice as much. The average weight of adult male bears, from 19 populations, was found to be 217 kg (478 lb) while adult females from 24 populations were found to average 152 kg (335 lb). Brown bears are often not fully brown. They have long, thick fur, with a moderately elongated mane at the back of the neck which varies somewhat across bear types. In India, brown bears can be reddish with silver-tipped hairs, while in China brown bears are bicolored, with
6111-563: The compact Gobi Desert population , which is not usually listed as a distinct subspecies in recent decades, weigh around 90 to 138 kg (198 to 304 lb) between the sexes, so they are similar in weight to bears from the Himalayas and even heavier than grizzlies from Jasper National Park . However, the Gobi bear has been reported to measure as small as 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in head-and-body length, which, if accurate, would make them
6208-471: The early Pleistocene. By 3–4 Mya, the species Ursus minimus appears in the fossil record of Europe; apart from its size, it was nearly identical to today's Asian black bear . It is likely ancestral to all bears within Ursinae, perhaps aside from the sloth bear. Two lineages evolved from U. minimus : the black bears (including the sun bear , the Asian black bear, and the American black bear ); and
6305-507: The extinct California grizzly bear ( U. a. californicus ) was rather large. Once mature, the typical female Kodiak bear can range in body mass from 120 to 318 kg (265 to 701 lb) and from sexual maturity onward, males range from 168 to 675 kg (370 to 1,488 lb). According to the Guinness Book of World Records the average male Kodiak bear is 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in) in total length (head-to-tail) and has
6402-508: The front ones being larger than the back. They may reach 5 to 6 cm (2.0 to 2.4 in) and measure 7 to 10 cm (2.8 to 3.9 in) along the curve. Compared with the American black bear ( Ursus americanus ), the brown bear has longer and stronger claws, with a blunt curve. Due to their claw structure, in addition to their excessive weight, adult brown bears are not able to climb trees as well as black bears. In rare cases adult female brown bears have been seen scaling trees. The claws of
6499-571: The fusing of some chromosomes, and the banding patterns on these match those of the ursine species, but differ from those of procyonids, which supports the inclusion of these two species in Ursidae rather than in Procyonidae , where they had been placed by some earlier authorities. The earliest members of Ursidae belong to the extinct subfamily Amphicynodontinae, including Parictis (late Eocene to early middle Miocene , 38–18 Mya ) and
6596-407: The genus Ursavus during the early Oligocene (30–28 Mya); this genus proliferated into many species in Asia and is ancestral to all living bears. Species of Ursavus subsequently entered North America, together with Amphicynodon and Cephalogale , during the early Miocene (21–18 Mya). Members of the living lineages of bears diverged from Ursavus between 15 and 20 Mya, likely via
6693-463: The grizzly bear of North America. Many of the populations in the southern parts of Eurasia are highly endangered as well. One of the smaller-bodied forms, the Himalayan brown bear , is critically endangered: it occupies only 2% of its former range and is threatened by uncontrolled poaching for its body parts. The Marsican brown bear of central Italy is one of several currently isolated populations of
6790-465: The largest home range was recorded for adult males (3,143 km; 1,214 sq mi). In the central Arctic of Canada, where food sources are quite scarce, home ranges range up to 2,434 km (940 sq mi) for females and 8,171 km (3,155 sq mi) for males. The mating season occurs from mid-May to early July, shifting to later in the year the farther north the bears are found. Being serially monogamous , brown bears remain with
6887-659: The lone surviving representative of the Tremarctinae, the South American spectacled bear ( T. ornatus ). The subfamily Ursinae experienced a dramatic proliferation of taxa about 5.3–4.5 Mya, coincident with major environmental changes; the first members of the genus Ursus appeared around this time. The sloth bear is a modern survivor of one of the earliest lineages to diverge during this radiation event (5.3 Mya); it took on its peculiar morphology, related to its diet of termites and ants, no later than by
6984-418: The male first name "Urs" is especially popular, while the name of the canton and city of Bern is by legend derived from Bär , German for bear. The Germanic name Bernard (including Bernhardt and similar forms) means "bear-brave", "bear-hardy", or "bold bear". The Old English name Beowulf is a kenning , "bee-wolf", for bear, in turn meaning a brave warrior. The family Ursidae is one of nine families in
7081-436: The morning and early evening hours. Although activity can happen day or night, bears that live in locations where they are apt to interact with humans are more likely to be fully nocturnal. In areas with little interaction, many adult bears are primarily crepuscular , while yearlings and newly independent bears appear to be most active throughout the day. From summer through autumn, a brown bear can double its weight from what it
7178-482: The mouth is closed or only open slightly. The "tense closed mouth face" is made with the ears laid back and the mouth closed, and occurs when the bear feels threatened. When approached by another individual, the animal makes a "puckered-lip face" with a protruding upper lip and ears that go from cocked and alert when at a certain distance to laid back when closer or when retreating. The "jaw gape face" consists of an open mouth with visible lower canines and hanging lips while
7275-576: The population (or subspecies) in the Kodiak Archipelago , which has probably been isolated since the end of the last Ice Age . These data demonstrate that U. a. gyas , U. a. horribilis , U. a. sitkensis , and U. a. stikeenensis are not distinct or cohesive groups, and would more accurately be described as ecotypes . For example, brown bears in any particular region of the Alaska coast are more closely related to adjacent grizzly bears than to distant populations of brown bears. The history of
7372-628: The relationships among extant and fossil bear species. One is all species of bears are classified in seven subfamilies as adopted here and related articles: Amphicynodontinae , Hemicyoninae , Ursavinae , Agriotheriinae , Ailuropodinae , Tremarctinae , and Ursinae . Below is a cladogram of the subfamilies of bears after McLellan and Reiner (1992) and Qiu et al. . (2014): † Amphicynodontinae [REDACTED] † Hemicyoninae † Ursavinae † Agriotheriinae Ailuropodinae [REDACTED] Tremarctinae [REDACTED] Ursinae [REDACTED] The second alternative phylogenetic hypothesis
7469-411: The same mate for a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Outside of this narrow time frame, adult male and female brown bears show no sexual interest in each other. Females mature sexually between the ages of four and eight. Males first mate about a year later, when they are large and strong enough to compete with other males for mating rights. Males will try to mate with as many females as they can; usually
7566-525: The seasons. On the other hand, the Ussuri brown bears found in the insular population of Hokkaido are usually quite small, usually weighing less than 150 kg (330 lb), exactly half the weight reported for male Ussuri brown bears from Khabarovsk Krai . This is due presumably to the enclosed mixed forest habitat of Hokkaido . A similarly diminished size has been reported in East Siberian brown bears from Yakutia , as even adult males average around 145 kg (320 lb), thus about 40% less than
7663-540: The slightly younger Allocyon (early Oligocene , 34–30 Mya), both from North America. These animals looked very different from today's bears, being small and raccoon -like in overall appearance, with diets perhaps more similar to that of a badger . Parictis does not appear in Eurasia and Africa until the Miocene. It is unclear whether late-Eocene ursids were also present in Eurasia, although faunal exchange across
7760-612: The smallest known brown bear in linear dimensions. These smallest brown bear subtypes are characteristically found in "barren-ground" type habitats, i.e., sub-desert in bears of the Syrian subspecies and the Gobi subtype and arid alpine meadow in Himalayan brown bears. The largest subspecies are the Kodiak bear ( U. a. middendorffi ) and the questionably-distinct peninsular giant bear or coastal brown bear ( U. a. gyas ). Also,
7857-417: The smallest living bear species, the sun bear ( Helarctos malayanus ), while the largest coastal populations attain sizes broadly similar to those of the largest living bear species, the polar bear . Brown bears of the interior are generally smaller, being around the same weight as an average lion , at an average of 180 kg (400 lb) in males and 135 kg (298 lb) in females, whereas adults of
7954-718: The smallest subtype of grizzly bear in North America, although the exact parameters of its body size are not known today. Bears of the Syrian subspecies ( U. a. syriacus ) will reportedly weigh around 100 to 160 kg (220 to 350 lb) in adulthood. The Himalayan brown bear ( U. a. isabellinus ) is another rival for the smallest subspecies; in Pakistan , this subtype averages about 70 kg (150 lb) in females and 135 kg (298 lb) in males. Himalayan brown bear females were cited with an average head-and-body length of merely 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in). Brown bears of
8051-574: The smallest-bodied subspecies, the Himalayan brown bear ( U. a. isabellinus ), is critically endangered: it occupies only 2% of its former range and is threatened by uncontrolled poaching for its body parts. The Marsican brown bear in central Italy is believed to have a population of just 50 bears. The smallest populations are most vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation , whereas the largest are primarily threatened by overhunting . The use of land for agriculture may negatively effect brown bears. Additionally, roads and railway tracks could pose
8148-730: The south. In Asia, brown bears are found primarily throughout Russia, thence more spottily southwest to parts of the Middle East, including the Eastern Black Sea Region , Turkey which has 5,432 individuals of brown bear, to as far south as southwestern Iran , and to the southeast in Northeast China. Brown bears are also found in Western China , Kyrgyzstan , North Korea , Pakistan , Afghanistan , and India . A population of brown bears can be found on
8245-547: The species Ursavus elmensis . Based on genetic and morphological data, the Ailuropodinae (pandas) were the first to diverge from other living bears about 19 Mya, although no fossils of this group have been found before about 11 Mya. The New World short-faced bears (Tremarctinae) differentiated from Ursinae following a dispersal event into North America during the mid-Miocene (about 13 Mya). They invaded South America (≈2.5 or 1.2 Ma) following formation of
8342-434: The suborder Caniformia , or "doglike" carnivorans, within the order Carnivora . Bears' closest living relatives are the pinnipeds , canids , and musteloids (some scholars formerly argued that bears are directly derived from canids and should not be classified as a separate family). Modern bears comprise eight species in three subfamilies: Ailuropodinae (monotypic with the giant panda ), Tremarctinae (monotypic with
8439-509: The support of the pinniped–amphicynodontine clade, other morphological and some molecular evidence supports bears being the closest living relatives to pinnipeds. The raccoon-sized, dog-like Cephalogale is the oldest-known member of the subfamily Hemicyoninae , which first appeared during the middle Oligocene in Eurasia about 30 Mya. The subfamily includes the younger genera Phoberocyon (20–15 Mya), and Plithocyon (15–7 Mya). A Cephalogale -like species gave rise to
8536-463: The time they reach or exceed eight to nine years of age, male Kodiak bears tend to be much larger than newly mature six-year-old males, potentially tripling their average weight within three years' time, and can expect to average between 360 and 545 kg (794 and 1,202 lb). The reported mean adult body masses for both sexes of the polar bear are very similar to the peninsular giant and Kodiak bears. Due to their roughly corresponding body sizes,
8633-494: The two subtypes and the species can both legitimately be considered the largest living member of the bear family Ursidae and the largest extant terrestrial carnivores. The largest widely accepted size for a wild Kodiak bear, as well as for a brown bear, was for a bear killed in English Bay on Kodiak Island in fall 1894 as several measurements were made of this bear, including a body mass of 751 kg (1,656 lb), and
8730-480: The west to the east, with the largest bears there native to Eastern Russia . Even in the nominate subspecies , size increases in the eastern limits, with mature male bears in Arkhangelsk Oblast and Bashkortostan commonly exceeding 300 kg (660 lb). Other bears of intermediate size may occur in inland populations of Russia . Much like the grizzly bear and Eurasian brown bear, populations of
8827-527: The winter for a long period of hibernation , up to 100 days. Bears have been hunted since prehistoric times for their meat and fur; they have also been used for bear-baiting and other forms of entertainment, such as being made to dance . With their powerful physical presence, they play a prominent role in the arts , mythology , and other cultural aspects of various human societies. In modern times, bears have come under pressure through encroachment on their habitats and illegal trade in bear parts, including
8924-501: The year, it is a usually solitary animal that associates only when mating or raising cubs. Females give birth to an average of one to three cubs that remain with their mother for 1.5 to 4.5 years. It is a long-lived animal, with an average lifespan of 25 years in the wild. Relative to its body size, the brown bear has an exceptionally large brain. This large brain allows for high cognitive abilities, such as tool use . Attacks on humans , though widely reported, are generally rare. While
9021-465: Was considered a " cryptid " (a hypothesized animal for which there is no scientific proof of existence in the wild). Analyses of the genomes of bears have shown that introgression between species was widespread during the evolution of the genus Ursus , including the introgression of polar-bear DNA introduced to brown bears during the Pleistocene. The brown bear is the most variable in size of modern bears. The typical size depends upon which population it
9118-664: Was given to people who suffered losses of livestock , food supplies, or shelter. Growing bear populations were recorded in some countries, such as Sweden, where an increase of 1.5% per annum occurred between the 1940s and 1990s. Brown bears in Central Asia are primarily threatened by climate change . In response to this, conservationists plan on building wildlife corridors to promote easy access from one brown bear population to another. In Himalayan Nepal , farmers may kill brown bears in revenge for livestock predation. A 2014 study revealed that brown bears peaked in activity around
9215-496: Was implemented by McKenna et al. (1997) to classify all the bear species into the superfamily Ursoidea , with Hemicyoninae and Agriotheriinae being classified in the family "Hemicyonidae". Amphicynodontinae under this classification were classified as stem- pinnipeds in the superfamily Phocoidea . In the McKenna and Bell classification both bears and pinnipeds are in a parvorder of carnivoran mammals known as Ursida , along with
9312-407: Was in the spring, gaining up to 180 kg (400 lb) of fat, on which it relies to make it through winter, when it becomes lethargic. Although they are not full hibernators and can be woken easily, both sexes prefer to den in a protected spot during the winter months. Hibernation dens may be located at any spot that provides cover from the elements and that can accommodate their bodies, such as
9409-645: Was once native to Europe, much of Asia, the Atlas Mountains of Africa, and North America, but are now extirpated in some areas, and their populations have greatly decreased in other areas. There are approximately 200,000 brown bears left in the world. The largest populations are in Russia with 130,000, the United States with 32,500, and Canada with around 25,000. Brown bears live in Alaska , east through
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