''Tremarctos floridanus'' is an extinct

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Ursidae Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Tremarctinae The Tremarctinae or short-faced bears is a subfamily of Ursidae that contains one living representative, the spectacled bear (''Tremarctos ornatus'') of South America, and several extinct species from four genera: the Florida spectacled bear ( ...

. ''T. floridanus'' became extinct at the end of the last ice age, 11,000 years ago. Its fossils have been found throughout the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

, in northeastern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, and in

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

from the Rancholabrean epoch (250,000–11,000 years ago), and from earlier epochs at some sites in western North America.

Names

''Tremarctos floridanus'' is called the Florida spectacled bear, Florida cave bear, or rarely Florida short-faced bear.

Description

''T. floridanus'' is presumed to closely resemble its modern relative that shares the same genus, the spectacled bear (''Tremarctos ornatus'') found in the

Andes Mountains The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long and wide (widest between 18°S ...

of South America. Intermediate in size between a modern

American black bear The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is Endemism, endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with ...

and

grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...

, it was noticeably larger than its South American relation though still much smaller than the fellow

bear ''

Arctodus ''Arctodus'' is an extinct genus of short-faced bear that inhabited North America during the Pleistocene (~2.6 Year#mya, Mya until 12,800 years ago). There are two recognized species: the lesser short-faced bear (''Arctodus pristinus'') and the gia ...

''. ''Arctodus'' was a contemporary of and shared its habitat with ''T. floridanus''. Despite one such common name, ''T. floridanus'' is not considered a close relative of the

cave bear The cave bear (''Ursus spelaeus'') is a prehistoric species of bear that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum. Both the word ''cave'' and the scientific name '' ...

, ''Ursus spelaeus'', which belonged to a different

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

and

. Like modern spectacled bears, ''T. floridanus'' was omnivorous and likely subsisted chiefly on plant material with a majority of animal matter consumed being

carrion Carrion (), also known as a carcass, is the decaying flesh of dead animals. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures ...

. Similar to the modern American black bear that shares its habitat today; insects, fish, small animals, and hoofed animals such a young deer might have also been hunted on occasion.

Taxonomy

Originally, Gidley named this animal ''Arctodus floridanus'' in 1928. It was recombined as ''T. floridanus'' by Kurten (1963), Lundelius (1972) and Kurten and Anderson (1980). The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wikt:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to ancho ...

was found in the Golf Course site of the Melbourne Bone Bed in Melbourne, Florida. The closest living relative of the Florida cave bear is the spectacled bear of South America; they are classified together with the huge short-faced bears in the

Range

''T. floridanus'' was widely distributed south of the continental ice sheet from

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

along the

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Tex ...

through

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Nuevo León Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a Administrative divisions of Mexico, state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, San Luis ...

and north to

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

and

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

during the Rancholabrean epoch (250,000–11,000 years ago). A few fossil specimens have been reported from the

Irvingtonian The Irvingtonian North American Land Mammal Age on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology (NALMA), spanning from 1.8 million – 250,000 years Before Present, BP.

(2.5 million–250,000 years ago) and

Blancan The Blancan North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology (NALMA), typically set from 4,750,000 to 1,806,000 years BP, a period of .Greenlandian stage of the

Holocene The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...

from presumed 8,000 years old material from the Devil's Den Cave, subsequent research indicates the fossils present were from the Rancholabrean epoch instead. Fossils of ''T. floridanus'' have been found at the following sites: * Anza-Borrego,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

(Irvingtonian epoch) * Aucilla River in Jefferson County, Florida * Cebada Cave, Belize * Cutler Fossil Site, Miami-Dade County, Florida * Devil's Den Cave, Marion County, Florida *Edisto Beach, South Carolina (Rancholabrean epoch) *El Golfo,

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

(Irvingtonian epoch) *Extinction Cave, Belize (Rancholabrean epoch) * Haile Quarry site, Alachua County, Florida * Harleyville, South Carolina (Rancholabrean epoch) * Ingleside, Texas *

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as the "Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...

(Rancholabrean epoch) * Rock Spring, Orange County, Florida *Runnymede Plantation, South Carolina ("''Tremarctos'' sp.") *San Josito Cave, Nuevo León (Rancholabrean epoch) * San Simon, Arizona ("''Tremarctos'' sp.", late Blancan epoch) *Other sites in Florida, including in Alachua, Brevard, Citrus, Columbia, DeSoto, Duval, Indian River, Lake, Levy, Marion, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Pinellas, St. Johns, Taylor and Volusia counties.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q310780 Pliocene bears Pleistocene bears Pleistocene mammals of North America Pleistocene extinctions Prehistoric mammals of North America Fossil taxa described in 1928 Fauna of the Southeastern United States Tremarctinae