Ursus minimus


Ursus minimus is an extinct species of bear, endemic to Europe during the Pliocene and Pleistocene, living from 5.3 to 1.8 Mya, existing for about.
U. minimus appears to have given rise to Ursus etruscus. The range of U. minimus was continental Europe, as far east as the Black Sea in Russia and as far south as Italy.
The skeleton of U. minimus was very similar to that of the larger Asian black bear. With the exception of the age of the bones, it is often difficult to distinguish the remains of U. minimus from those of modern Asian black bears.

Distribution

Fossils of U. minimus are known from France, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Italy, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Russia.

Fossil sites

Sites and specimen ages: