Fossilized Pleistocene Cave Bear Foot + Mandible

Ancient Europe, Pleistocene epoch, ca. 1.2 million to 24,000 years ago. A massive fossilized foot of a European cave bear (Ursus spelaeus), with its almost humanlike form and long claws, and a fossilized mandible from the same species with its teeth intact. Wear on the teeth indicates that this was a fully grown adult individual. Enormous cave bears were first described in 1774, and scientists at the time thought their huge remains might be polar bears. Later scientists realized that they were once part of the group of megafauna that roamed Ice Age Europe - alongside mammoths, wooly rhinos, giant deer, and lions - and males of the species could be fifty percent larger than modern day grizzly bears. Ancient humans were aware of the animals and painted them on the walls of caves. Despite their fierce appearance, cave bears had a mostly vegetarian diet, and ultimately went extinct during the Last Glacial Maximum ca. 27000 to 24000 years ago, when the vegetation they relied upon disappeared. Size of mandible: 11" W x 4.25" H (27.9 cm x 10.8 cm)

Provenance: private Glorieta, New Mexico, USA collection

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#149357 Dimensions: Condition Report: The foot has been repaired above the wrist and the joints are held in place with wires; these wires are not visible. Mandible has been repaired from three pieces and has a weathered surface and some losses from the peripheries, but overall really nice preservation with the teeth in great condition.