Arctodus

Arctodus is an extinct genus of North American bears that lived during the Pleistocene. Its best-known species, Arctodus simus, was among the largest bears known.

Arctodus simus: An extinct North American short-faced bear and the largest known species of Arctodus. This is the genus’s best-known species and the source of its giant-bear reputation.
Natural Trap Cave: A fossil-rich cave in Wyoming that trapped animals during the Pleistocene. Its deposits preserve Arctodus remains alongside a diverse record of Ice Age animals.
Short-faced bear: A common name for extinct bears in the subfamily Tremarctinae, whose skulls have relatively short snouts. The name captures the distinctive skull proportions that characterize Arctodus.
Arctotherium: An extinct genus of short-faced bears that lived in South America. This related genus lived on another continent and included some of the largest known bears.
Arctodus pristinus: An extinct species of short-faced bear that lived in North America before Arctodus simus. This smaller, earlier species shows that Arctodus was not limited to its giant form.
La Brea Tar Pits: A group of asphalt seeps in Los Angeles that preserve abundant Pleistocene fossils. Arctodus fossils from these deposits can be compared with those of other predators and prey.
Bear locomotion: The ways bears move, including walking, running, climbing, and swimming. Arctodus’s limb proportions have prompted debate about its likely speed and movement.
Giant panda: A living bear species native to China that feeds mainly on bamboo. Its specialized diet contrasts with the uncertain and probably broader feeding ecology of Arctodus.
Tremarctinae: A subfamily of bears that includes the living spectacled bear and several extinct New World lineages. Arctodus belongs to this bear subfamily, whose history extends across the Americas.
Rancho La Brea: A Pleistocene fossil locality in Los Angeles, best known for its asphalt-seep deposits. This specific fossil site offers a detailed record of Arctodus in southern California.

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Pleistocene megafaunaBroader topic: Its size and range broaden the examples beyond familiar mammoth and saber-tooth forms.