Fossil Cave Bear Skull, 19”

This impressive cave bear skull (Ursus uralensis) belonged to an adult male and measures 19 inches in diameter. It was collected in the Ural Mountains and dates to the Late Pleistocene. The specimen is beautifully mounted on an oak base. 

Like in most bears, sexual dimorphism was pronounced in cave bears. Males grew to over 1000 pounds while females reached half that size. Incredibly, there is evidence that Neanderthals worshipped cave bears: caches of cave bear skulls aligned in the same direction have been found at several locations across Europe.

The skull was found in the Perm region in a cave near the Chan'va River.

TAXONOMY 

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia 
  
• Order: Carnivora
• Family: Ursidae
• Genus: Ursus
• Species: Ursus uralensis

GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

• Location: Ural Mountains, Russia
• Age: Late Pleistocene

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS 

• Dimensions: Skull Measures approximately 19” in (48.2 cm) diameter
• Dimensions on display: 19” x 20” x 14.5” (48.3 cm x 50.8 cm x 36.8 cm) (H x L x W)