Pathologies of cave bear bones from Potočka zijalka (Slovenia)

In this article a description of all pathologically changed skeletal elements from Ursus ingressus Rabeder et al., 2004 is given. From the available material the conclusion is drawn that the cave bear population was in general healthy. At the first glance this seems astonishing because there is quite a lot of pathologic material but it is obvious that most of the pathologies are of erosive character due to the high individual age of the animals. Only a small number of pathologies – most of them are from appendicular skeleton – is of traumatic origin

Pathologies of cave bear bones from Potočka zijalka (Slovenia)

In this article a description of all pathologically changed skeletal elements from Ursus ingressus Rabeder et al., 2004 is given. From the available material the conclusion is drawn that the cave bear population was in general healthy. At the first glance this seems astonishing because there is quite a lot of pathologic material but it is obvious that most of the pathologies are of erosive character due to the high individual age of the animals. Only a small number of pathologies – most of them are from appendicular skeleton – is of traumatic origin

Pathologies of cave bear bones from Potočka zijalka (Slovenia)

In this article a description of all pathologically changed skeletal elements from Ursus ingressus Rabeder et al., 2004 is given. From the available material the conclusion is drawn that the cave bear population was in general healthy. At the first glance this seems astonishing because there is quite a lot of pathologic material but it is obvious that most of the pathologies are of erosive character due to the high individual age of the animals. Only a small number of pathologies – most of them are from appendicular skeleton – is of traumatic origin

Morphological responses of cave bears (Ursus spelaeus group) to high-alpine habitats

A comparison of metrical and morphologi-cal data from more than 30 bear populati-ons belonging to the cave bear group (U.spelaeus and its relatives U. eremus,U. ladi-nicus,U. ingressus as well as their prede-cessor U. deningeri) shows that the differentspecies developed very different adaptationsto the altitude of their habitats. Whereasthere is a reduction of body size in Ursuseremus and U. ladinicus correlated with thealtitude of the habitat (“alpine nanism”) nosuch correlation can be observed in U. in-gressus. In U. ingressus there is a positivecorrelation of the tooth indices and the alti-tude of the habitat, i.e. in the higher sitesthe teeth are more evolved

New Taxa of Alpine Cave Bears (Ursidae, Carnivora)

Morphological and metrical differences between several alpine cave bear associations of the same age are large enough to suspect more than one evolutionary line. The contemporaneous age of several morphologically distinct forms is confirmed by radiocarbon dating. Moreover analyses of fossil DNA indicate at least three different lineages within the cavebear group. For two of these groups, both morphological and genetic data show evidence of reproductive isolation. Thus, we suggest that Ursus spelaeus comprised at least two different species. Ursus ingressus n. sp. occurred in the eastern parts of the Alpine region and in the Dinarids of Slovenia and Croatia. For two other morphological forms, subspecific status with Ursus spelaeus ladinicus n. ssp. in the Dolomites and Ursus spelaeus eremus n. ssp. in the Totes Gebirge is sug¬ gested, as they are genetically relatively close and no data about their reproductive relationship is yet available.Les différences morphologiques et métriques entre plusieurs populations d'ours des cavernes alpins de même âge sont suffisamment importantes pour qu'on puisse supposer l'existence de plusieurs lignées évolutives distinctes. Les datations par le radiocarbone confirment la coexistence de formes morphologiquement différentes. De plus les analyses sur l'ADN fossile montrent qu'existent au moins trois lignées d'ours des cavernes. Pour deux de ces groupes, les données morphologiques comme les données génétiques prouvent des isolats de reproduction. Aussi nous suggérons qu' Ursus spelaeus correspond au moins à deux espèces différentes. Ursus ingressus n. sp. est répandu dans les Alpes orientales et dans les Alpes Dinariques de Slovénie et Croatie . Pour les deux autres formes morphologiques, nous proposons la distinction de deux sous-espèces, Ursus spelaeus ladinicus n. ssp. dans les Dolomites et Ursus spelaeus eremus n. ssp. dans le Massif des Totes Gebirge : elles sont en effet relativement proches génétiquement mais il n'existe pour l'instant aucune donnée sur leur croisement éventuel.Rabeder Gernot, Hofreiter Michael, Withalm Gerhard, Nagel Doris. New Taxa of Alpine Cave Bears (Ursidae, Carnivora). In: Cahiers scientifiques du Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Lyon. Hors-série, tome 2, 2004. Actes du 9e symposium international sur l'ours des cavernes

Morphological responses of cave bears (Ursus spelaeus group) to high-alpine habitats

A comparison of metrical and morphologi-cal data from more than 30 bear populati-ons belonging to the cave bear group (U.spelaeus and its relatives U. eremus,U. ladi-nicus,U. ingressus as well as their prede-cessor U. deningeri) shows that the differentspecies developed very different adaptationsto the altitude of their habitats. Whereasthere is a reduction of body size in Ursuseremus and U. ladinicus correlated with thealtitude of the habitat (“alpine nanism”) nosuch correlation can be observed in U. in-gressus. In U. ingressus there is a positivecorrelation of the tooth indices and the alti-tude of the habitat, i.e. in the higher sitesthe teeth are more evolved