MacFarlane's Bear
Encyclopedia
MacFarlane's bear is a proposed extinct species of bear
that was found in Canada
's Northwest Territories
. In 1864, Inuit hunters shot and killed an enormous yellow-furred bear and gave the skin and skull to naturalist Robert MacFarlane
. MacFarlane shipped the skin and skull to the Smithsonian Institution
where they were placed in storage and soon forgotten. Eventually, Dr. Clinton Hart Merriam
uncovered the remains, which he thought were shot very far outside the Brown Bear
range and thought that it wasn't a brown bear at all. In 1918, he described the specimen as a new species and genus
, Vetularctos inopinatus, calling it the "ancient unexpected bear."
With the exception of unconfirmed sightings, MacFarlane's bear is sometimes thought to have gone extinct since the specimen was obtained in 1864. There have been many theories concerning the origin of MacFarlane's bear, which include suggestions that it may have been a grizzly–polar bear hybrid, or even a surviving representative of a Pleistocene
species.
Today, it is known that grizzly-polar bear hybrids do occur on occasion and that they match the specimen's description very well, notably the pale tan fur, and apparently also the oddly shaped skull which led Merriam to propose his new genus. While this seems to be a satisfying explanation, it was not tested thoroughly because the hybridization theory was for long just that. Now that more than circumstantial data from such hybrids exists, ancient DNA
analysis and/or a morphological
study of the skull may well resolve the case of McFarlane's specimen. If it turns out to be a hybrid the scientific names Vetularctos and Ursus inopinatus would become invalid under the ICZN
.
In episode #215 of the History Channel program Monster Quest
, "Giant Bear Attack", paleontologist Dr. Blaine W. Schubert (of East Tennessee State University) was allowed to examine the skull (although the Institute did not allow the examination to be filmed). Schubert stated that he was "100% sure" that it was the skull of a young, female brown bear and "actually, not a particularly large individual."
In 1984, E. Raymong Hall synonymized U. inopinatus with U. arctos horribilis, the normal grizzly bear
.
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
that was found in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. In 1864, Inuit hunters shot and killed an enormous yellow-furred bear and gave the skin and skull to naturalist Robert MacFarlane
Robert MacFarlane
Robert MacFarlane was a lawyer and Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons representing Perth South from 1867 to 1872....
. MacFarlane shipped the skin and skull to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
where they were placed in storage and soon forgotten. Eventually, Dr. Clinton Hart Merriam
Clinton Hart Merriam
Clinton Hart Merriam was an American zoologist, ornithologist, entomologist and ethnographer.Known as "Hart" to his friends, Dr. Clinton Hart Merriam was born in New York City in 1855. His father, Clinton Levi Merriam, was a U.S. congressman. He studied biology and anatomy at Yale University and...
uncovered the remains, which he thought were shot very far outside the Brown Bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
range and thought that it wasn't a brown bear at all. In 1918, he described the specimen as a new species and genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, Vetularctos inopinatus, calling it the "ancient unexpected bear."
With the exception of unconfirmed sightings, MacFarlane's bear is sometimes thought to have gone extinct since the specimen was obtained in 1864. There have been many theories concerning the origin of MacFarlane's bear, which include suggestions that it may have been a grizzly–polar bear hybrid, or even a surviving representative of a Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
species.
Today, it is known that grizzly-polar bear hybrids do occur on occasion and that they match the specimen's description very well, notably the pale tan fur, and apparently also the oddly shaped skull which led Merriam to propose his new genus. While this seems to be a satisfying explanation, it was not tested thoroughly because the hybridization theory was for long just that. Now that more than circumstantial data from such hybrids exists, ancient DNA
Ancient DNA
Ancient DNA is DNA isolated from ancient specimens. It can be also loosely described as any DNA recovered from biological samples that have not been preserved specifically for later DNA analyses...
analysis and/or a morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
study of the skull may well resolve the case of McFarlane's specimen. If it turns out to be a hybrid the scientific names Vetularctos and Ursus inopinatus would become invalid under the ICZN
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals...
.
In episode #215 of the History Channel program Monster Quest
Monster Quest
MonsterQuest is an American television series that originally aired from October 31, 2007 to March 24, 2010 on the History channel...
, "Giant Bear Attack", paleontologist Dr. Blaine W. Schubert (of East Tennessee State University) was allowed to examine the skull (although the Institute did not allow the examination to be filmed). Schubert stated that he was "100% sure" that it was the skull of a young, female brown bear and "actually, not a particularly large individual."
In 1984, E. Raymong Hall synonymized U. inopinatus with U. arctos horribilis, the normal grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
.