Ursus arctos priscus Goldfuss, 1818
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Ursus priscus Goldfuss, 1818; Ursus fossilis (author?; 1821)
Probably an ecomorph ratrher than a distinct subspecies (Marciszak et al., 2019):
"U. a. “priscus” cannot be distinguished genetically, but it differs metrically and morphologically."
Conservation Status
Extinct
Last record: Late Pleistocene
Distribution
Germany & Russia
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Baryshnikov, Gennady F. and Boeskorov, Gennady G. (2004). Skull of the Pleistocene brown bear (Ursus arctos) from Yakutia, Russia. Russian Journal of Theriology 3(2): 71-75.
Baryshnikov, Gennady F., Mool, D. and Tikhonov, A. (2009). Finding of the Late Pleistocene Carnivora in Taimyr Peninsula (Russia, Siberia) with paleoecological context. Russian Journal of Theriology 8(2): 107-113.
Marciszak, Adrian, Gornig, Wiktoria, and Stefaniak, Krzysztof. (2017). Large mammals (carnivores, artiodactyls) from Solna Jama Cave (Bystrzyckie Mts, Southwestern Poland) in the context of faunal changes in the postglacial period of Central Europe. Palaeontologia Electronica 20.1.3A: 1-37.
Marciszak, Adrian et al. (2019). Steppe brown bear Ursus arctos “priscus” from the Late Pleistocene of Europe. Quaternary International 534: 158-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2019.02.042 [Abstract]
Marciszak, Adrian, Gornig, Wiktoria and Kropczyk, Aleksandra. (2021). Radochowska Cave (Sudety Mts, SW Poland) – one of the European caves with a bear cult?, pp. 62-63. In: Ratajczak-Skrzatek U., Kovalchuk O., Stefaniak K. (eds.). Proceedings of INQUA SEQS 2021 Conference, Wrocław, Poland. University of Wrocław & Polish Geological Society. 119 pp.
Marciszak, Adrian Przemysław and Lipecki, Grzegorz. (2020). The history of bears (Ursidae, Carnivora, Mammalia) from Silesia (southern Poland) and the neighbouring areas. Geological Quarterly 64(4): 876-897. doi: 10.7306/gq.1565
Pacher, Martina. (2007). The type specimen of Ursus priscus Goldfuss, 1818 and the uncertain status of Late Pleistocene brown bears. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen 245(3): 331-339.