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ULTRA RARE URSUS DENINGERI ANCESTRAL CAVE BEAR COMPLETE INTACT RADIUS LOWER ARM BONE FROM EUROPE Gravel Quarry - Southeastern Poland PLEISTOCENE PERIOD: 700,000 - 300,000 years ago The true Cave Bear from Europe, Ursus spelaeus evolved from the Ice Age bear Ursus deningeri approximately 300,000 years ago. Ursus deningeri first emerged around 700,000 years ago. Fossils from Ursus deningeri are very rare and this is the SECOND specimen we have to offer for sale ever in our history. For a comprehensive cave bear exhibit and the ultimate addition to an Ice Age display, this is an extremely important and recommended specimen. This is a right radius bone or lower arm bone of Ursus deningeri. It was collected from a gravel quarry rich in Ice Age fossils of this period. On rare occasions, bones of this extinct prehistoric bear are found in this deposit along with fossils of the Southern Mammoth of the inter-glacial period in Europe. The bone is in incredible preservation and is a light Swiss chocolate brown color. In comparison of this bone with similar bones of Ursus spelaeus, a more gracile, elongate and less robust anatomy can be seen versus the opposite in U. spelaeus radii. Highly recommended! NO REPAIR AND NO RESTORATION. A must for cave bear fossil fans! This fossil would also make a great compliment to a primitive man stone tool and weapon collection as they lived alongside each other at one point in history and were hunted and revered by both Neanderthal man and Cro-Magnon man.
The anatomical features of the Russian non-cave-dwelling species are evident when compared to the true European Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus). The Russian bear species (uralensis) is also not as massive as the true European cave bear, Ursus spelaeus. Basic anatomical features of the skull are easy to differentiate the two. Ursus spelaeus will have larger zygomatic arches (cheek bones), a much steeper forehead and a higher, more pronounced sagittal crest (the crest on the dorsal posterior portion of the skull). Compare the skull images on this page and elsewhere in this section to Russian skulls being sold elsewhere and you will see the difference. Russian bear fossils of Ursus uralensis are MUCH MORE prevalent and found in greater numbers today than high quality TRUE cave bear fossils of Europe (Ursus spelaeus) and therefore, are less rare and reflect a lower price than the European specimens. Ursus spelaeus was a huge omnivorous bear that resided in caves year-round compared to modern bears which only use caves as a shelter for hibernation. When standing on its hind legs, the height of this beast would have averaged 10 feet tall! Skulls have been found 20 inches in length! The closest relative is our modern day brown bear but the cave bear averages 30% greater in size. One way to differentiate a cave bear skull from a brown bear (and all other bears for that matter) is the sheer size, first off, and also the prominence of the brow and forehead unique to the cave bear. Modern bear skulls have a more gradual sloping forehead. Found throughout caves in Europe, the cave bear was named after the places where its remains are commonly found: caves, in the Alps, the Ardennes, the Carpathian and Ural Mountains, and in many other European mountain chains. Remains found in caves near the North Sea and in The Netherlands show that the range of Ursus spelaeus eventually spread into the lowland forests of western Europe. In this last region, populations drastically declined around 40,000 years ago finally becoming extinct during the last glacial period. It is believed that the cave bears' demise was aided by competition for food and shelter by a simultaneous existence with the brown bear. Evidence found in caves suggests that prehistoric man either worshipped the cave bear or used its remains in religious rituals. SECOND EVER FOSSIL WE OFFER FROM THIS ANCESTOR OF THE EUROPEAN CAVE BEAR - ULTRA RARE MUSEUM SPECIMEN!!! 12.5" in length $695 LM40-147 Actual Item - One Only |
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