Ursavus
Encyclopedia
Ursavus is an extinct genus
of mammal
s of the family Ursidae (bears) that existed in North America
, Europe
, Africa
, and Asia
during the Miocene
, living from ~23—5.3 Ma, existing for approximately . It apparently dispersed from Asia into North America about 20 Ma, becoming the earliest member of the subfamily Ursinae in the New World. Qiu points out that if a questionable specimen of Ursavus reported in North America is validated, Ursavus may have evolved in North America and dispersed westward into Asia. The higher number of fossils in Europe grading toward eastern Asia make the westward dispersal unlikely.
Ursavus was named by Schlosser
(1899). It was assigned to Ursidae by Schlosser (1899) and R. L. Carroll (1988); and to Ursavini
by R.M. Hunt (1998) and Jin et al. (2007).
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...
of mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s of the family Ursidae (bears) that existed in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
during the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
, living from ~23—5.3 Ma, existing for approximately . It apparently dispersed from Asia into North America about 20 Ma, becoming the earliest member of the subfamily Ursinae in the New World. Qiu points out that if a questionable specimen of Ursavus reported in North America is validated, Ursavus may have evolved in North America and dispersed westward into Asia. The higher number of fossils in Europe grading toward eastern Asia make the westward dispersal unlikely.
Ursavus was named by Schlosser
Max Schlosser
Max Schlosser was a German zoologist and paleontologist. He is best known for his research about extinct primates and Caniformia.-External links:* from Scribd...
(1899). It was assigned to Ursidae by Schlosser (1899) and R. L. Carroll (1988); and to Ursavini
Ursavini
Ursavini is an extinct tribe of mammals of the family Ursidae endemic to North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia during Miocene through Pliocene, living from ~23—2.5 Ma, existing for approximately ....
by R.M. Hunt (1998) and Jin et al. (2007).
Fossil distribution
Sites (not complete) and specimen ages:- Pawnee Buttes Site, Weld County, ColoradoWeld County, ColoradoAs of the census of 2000, there were 180,936 people, 63,247 households, and 45,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 66,194 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
(U. pawniensis) ~23.03—5.3 Ma. - Pasalar site, Bursa, TurkeyBursa, TurkeyBursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province. The metropolitan area in the entire Bursa province had a population of 2.6 million as of 2010, making the city fourth most populous in Turkey. The city is equally one of the most industrialized metropolitan centers in the...
(U. primaevus) ~16—13.7 Ma. - Baigneaux-en-Beauc, Alsac, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(U. brevirhinus) ~16.9—16.0 Ma. - Hambach mine horizon 6C, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(U. elmensis ~16.9—13.7 Ma. - Yost Farm Site, Saskatchewan, Canada (U. primaevus) ~16.3—13.6 Ma.
- Myers Farm Site, Valentine Formation, Webster County, NebraskaWebster County, Nebraska-History:Webster County was formed in 1871. It was named after the statesman Daniel Webster.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,061 people, 1,708 households, and 1,118 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 1,972 housing...
(U. brevirhinus) ~16.3—13.6 Ma. - Lufeng site, Yunnan, China (U. depereti) ~9—5.3 Ma.