FRAGMENTS OF ICE AGE ENVIRONMENTS

Recent brown bear biology as a tool to study the cave bear

Ðuro HUBER, Goran GUŽVICA

Rescuing a brown bear cub (age: one month) from the den abandoned by the mother after the forestry work disturbance.

Abstract

The study presents some basic data on the biology of recent brown bears (Ursus arctos) that may help towards understanding some elements of cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) life. Both species belong to the same genus and were sympatric in large parts of today’s Croatia and Slovenia at one period of their evolutionary history. The long term study (since 1981) of brown bears in Croatia provided certain amount scientific data. The fields of research that may be relevant for comparison with cave bears are reviewed here: 1. denning ecology, 2. reproduction and growth, 3. movements 4. habitat requirements, 5. activity patterns, and 6. feeding habits.

Keywords: cave bear, Ursus spelaeus, brown bear, Ursus arctos, Croatia, Slovenia, biology, ecology

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2011, (Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae, 21), 280 pages, 44 b-w photographs, 10 drawings, 52 tables, 71 graphs and 9 maps, 20 x 29 cm hardcover, ISBN 978-961-254-257-3.

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