BEAR

BEAR

·        Bear

Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although solely eight species of bears square measure living, they're widespread, showing in a very big variety of habitats throughout the hemisphere and partly within the hemisphere. Bears square measure found on the continents of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Common characteristics of recent bears embrace big bodies with thick legs, long snouts, small rounded ears, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and short tails.

Bears are afraid since prehistoric times for his or her meat and fur; they need been used for bear-baiting and alternative sorts of amusement, like being created to bop. With their powerful physical presence, they play a outstanding role within the arts, mythology, and other cultural aspects of various human societies. In times, bears have come back stressed through encroachment on their habitats and amerciable exchange bear elements, including the Asian bile bear market. The IUCN lists six bear species as vulnerable or vulnerable, and even least concern species, such as the brown bear, are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The cookery and international trade of those most vulnerable populations square measure prohibited, however still in progress.

·        Etymology

The English word "bear" comes from English bera and belongs to a family of names for the bear in Germanic languages, like Swedish björn, also used as a first name, that originate from Associate in Nursing adjective that means "brown". "Bear" so originally meant "the brown one." This language for the animal originated as a taboo turning away term: proto-Germanic tribes replaced their original word for bear – arkto – with this inoffensive expression out of concern that speaking the animal's true name may cause it to look.[1][2]

Bear taxonomic group names like Arctoidea and Helarctos come back from the traditional Greek word ἄρκτος (arktos), that means bear,[3] as do the names "arctic" and "antarctic", from the constellation Great Bear, the "Great Bear", prominent in the northern sky.[4]

Bear taxon names such as Ursidae and Ursus come from Latin Ursus/Ursa, he-bear/she-bear.[4] The female first name "Ursula", originally derived from a Christian saint's name, means "little she-bear" (diminutive of Latin ursa). In Swiss Confederation, the male forename "Urs" is very well-liked, whereas the name of the canton and town of Berne springs from Bär, German for bear. The Germanic name Bernard (including Sarah Bernhardt and similar forms) suggests that "bear-brave", "bear-hardy", or "bold bear".[5][6] The English name Beowulf could be a figure, "bee-wolf", for bear, successively that means a brave warrior.[7]

·        Evolution

he earliest members of Ursidae belong to the extinct subfamily Amphicynodontinae, including Parictis (late Eocene to early middle Miocene, 38–18 Mya) and the slightly younger Allocyon (early Oligocene, 34–30 Mya), both from North America. These animals looked terribly completely different from today's bears, being little and raccoon-like in overall look, with diets maybe additional like that of a badger. Parictis doesn't seem in Eurasia and continent till the epoch.[10] it's unclear whether or not late-Eocene ursids were conjointly gift in Eurasia, although faunal exchange across the Bering land bridge could are potential throughout a significant water level low stand as early because the late Eocene (about thirty seven Mya) and continued into the first epoch.[11] European genera morphologically very similar to Allocyon, and to the much younger American Kolponomos (about 18 Mya),[12] are known from the Oligocene, including Amphicticeps and Amphicynodon.[11] There has been various morphological evidence linking amphicynodontines with pinnipeds, as each teams were semi-aquatic, otter-like mammals.[13][14][15] additionally to the support of the pinniped–amphicynodontine biological group, other morphological and some molecular evidence supports bears being the closet living relatives to pinnipeds.

·        Physical characteristics

·        Size

The bear family includes the foremost huge living terrestrial members of the animal order.[a] The ice bear is taken into account to be the most important living species,[43] with adult males weighing 350–700 kg (772–1,543 lb) and measure two.4–3 metres (7 foot ten in–9 foot ten in) in total length.[44] the littlest species is that the sun bear, that ranges 25–65 metric weight unit (55–143 lb) in weight and 100–140 cm (39–55 in) long.[45] Prehistoric North and South American short-faced bears were the largest species known to have lived. The latter calculable to own weighed one,600 kg (3,500 lb) and stood three.4 m (11 ft) tall.[37][36] weight varies throughout the year in bears of temperate and arctic climates, as they build up fat reserves within the summer and fall and melt off throughout the winter

·        Relationship with humans

·        Conservation

In times, bears have come back struggling through encroachment on their habitats[116] and illegal trade bear components, as well as the Asian gall securities industry, though hunting is now banned, largely replaced by farming.[117] The IUCN lists six bear species as vulnerable;[118] even the 2 least concern species, the Ursus arctos and therefore the yank black bear,[118] are at risk of extirpation in certain areas. In general these two species inhabit remote areas with little interaction with humans, and thus the most non-natural causes of mortality area unit looking out, trapping, road-kill and depredation.[119]

·        Attacks

Several bear species square measure dangerous to humans, especially in areas where they have become used to people; elsewhere, they generally avoid humans. Injuries caused by bears square measure rare, however square measure wide according.[124] Bears might attack humans in response to being surprised, in defense of young or food, or maybe for predatory reasons.[125]