The "King" of the bears - comparison between the Polar bear and the Brown bear

[brotherbear]

The Great Bear Almanac by Gary Brown: Generally, the skulls of bears are massive, typically long, wide across the forehead with prominent eyebrow ridges, a large jawbone hinge, and with heavy jaw muscles and broad nostrils. Combined with dentition, the structure of bear's skulls are very much carnivorous, though with omnivore modifications.
The skull may be the most important feature of an animal, housing the brain, providing a major protective and nutritional feature ( mouth and teeth ), and containing sensory/communication features. "Bear skulls undergo a series of changes from early life to old age, and in most species do not attain their mature form until seven or more years of age," observed C.H. Merriam in North American Fauna, Biological Survey, 1918.
Diet and other eating habits have influenced the individual development of the heads and skulls of each species. "Head shape and size... are influenced by dentition and jaw muscles," write Paul Shepard and Barry Sanders in The Sacred Paw... ( skulls ) are shaped to anchor the approriate muscles. Because of the heavy jaw muscles it ( spectacled bear ) uses for crushing palm nuts, its skull shape is unusual, rather resembling that of the giant panda, which has massive molars for grinding bamboo shoots."
Brown bears normally do not bite to kill, but have grinding, crunching teeth with the massive muscles to accomplish the task. Polar bears are more carnivorous than other bears, and do bite to kill; their skulls are specifically shaped for the appropriate teeth and muscles to hold, chop, and slash their prey. Each of the eight bear species has its own distinctive skull shape and size.
Spectacled Bear - Wide; short muzzle; lower jaw shorter than upper ( overbite ); unusual skull shape; resembles giant panda; young and female skulls narrow and long.
Giant Panda - Massive; wide; zygomatic arches widely spread; constructed for attachment of powerful jaw muscles; short muzzle.
Sun Bear - Wide and flat ( unbearlike ); short muzzle.
Sloth Bear - Thick; long muzzle; small jaws; bulbous snout; wide nostrils. 
Asiatic Black Bear - Large; sloping forehead.
American Black Bear - Broad, narrow muzzle; large jaw hinge; female head may be more slender and pointed.
Brown Bear - Massive; heavily constructed; large in proportion to body; high forehead ( steeply rising ); concave ( dished face ); domed head; long muzzle; flat nose tip; ears barely observed as bumps; eyes tiny.
Polar Bear - Large; small in proportion to body; long; snout long ( warms air ); Roman nose; large eyes.
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