There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
I'm not sure who weighed the 1,656 pound Kodiak bear. But, in the wild, the brown bear cannot compete with the polar bear in a contest of size. Environment and food availability is the key. Put coastal brown bears on a diet of protein-rich blubber and you will have polar-sized grizzlies.
If someone was to draw-up a family tree of Ursus arctos ( I wish someone would ), that family tree would be incomplete without the polar bear. Ursus maritimus is genetically a brown bear, although one of great change due to a drastically different life-style. The mere fact that the polar exists speaks volumes for the adaptability of the grizzly.
In my opinion - such as it is - the grizzly ( Ursus arctos ) is the king of the bears including the polar bear, even though he is classified under a different name - Ursus maritimus.