Date: April 20, 2016
Source: University of Adelaide
The work of University of
Adelaide researchers is shedding new light on the evolution of what are
believed to be the largest bears that ever walked the Earth.
Dr Kieren Mitchell, from the
University's Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences,
has a new paper just published in Biology Letters.
He writes: "During the
Pleistocene (2.5 million years ago -- 11 thousand years ago) giant bears
weighing over 1,000kg roamed both North and South America. These giants
belonged to a now practically extinct subfamily of bears -- Tremarctinae --
which is today only represented by the small, herbivorous Andean spectacled
bear (Tremarctos ornatus).
"The giant North American
bears (Arctodus) and South American bears (Arctotherium) have long been
believed to be each others' closest relative. However, by comparing ancient DNA
data obtained from representatives of the two extinct genera and comparing them
with the living species, we were able to show that Arctotherium is
most closely related to Tremarctos and not Arctodus.
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