Giant Short Faced Bear (Arctodus simus)

[Spalea]

" The short-faced bears (Arctodus spp.) is a bear genus that inhabited North America during the Pleistocene epoch from about 1.8 Mya until 11,000 years ago. It was the most common early North American bear and was most abundant in California.


There are two recognized species: Arctodus pristinus and Arctodus simus, with the latter considered to be one of the largest known terrestrial mammalian carnivores that has ever existed. It has been hypothesized that their extinction coincides with the Younger Dryas period of global cooling commencing around 10,900 BC.

In a recent study, the mass of six A. simusspecimens was estimated, one-third of them weighed about 900 kg (1 short ton), the largest 957 kg (2,110 lb), suggesting specimens that big were probably more common than previously thought. It stood 8–10 feet (2.4–3.0 m) tall on hind legs, with a large specimen standing up to 11–12 feet (3.4–3.7 m) tall with a 14-foot (4.3 m) vertical arm reach. When walking on all fours, it stood 5–6 feet (1.5–1.8 m) high at the shoulder and would be tall enough to look a human in the eye. "

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