Cave Bears - The Unexpected Vegetarians of the Ice Age

Explore the fascinating world of cave bears in this 1-hour 5-minute lecture presented by Dr. Anneke van Heteren from the Zoological Museum of Munich at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Delve into the unexpected dietary habits of these Ice Age giants, challenging the notion of their ferocious nature. Discover their distribution, family tree, and evolution from Ursus Minimus to the modern brown bear. Examine the cave bear's impressive size, reconstruction, and interactions with other prehistoric animals such as horses, wolves, bison, and woolly mammoths. Investigate their behavior, including hibernation patterns and evidence from cave art. Analyze the ongoing scientific debate about their diet through comparisons with modern bears, functional morphology, and phylogenetic studies. Gain insights into the lower jaw shape and its implications for understanding cave bear feeding habits. Engage with thought-provoking questions and evidence that shed light on these unexpected vegetarians of the Ice Age.