The Evolution of Bears

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The bear is a unique species. There are only eight species of bear left. They are the American Black Bear, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Giant Panda Bear, Asiatic Bear, Sloth Bear, Spectacled Bear, and Sun Bear. These bears can be found in Southern Asia, Nepal, South America, South Eastern Asia, United States, Canada, Alaska, Northern Eurasia, the central Mountains of China and the Artic circle. These eight bears started evolving from a common ancestor 30 million years ago. Out of the eight species of bear left, the Giant Panda is the oldest. It diverged about 30 million years ago from its common ancestor along with the procyonids (the raccoon family). Pandas are usually 4-6 feet tall. They can weigh up to 350 pounds. They are not able to walk on hind legs. There are only about 1000 left in the wild because of their habitat being destroyed. They spend 14 hours a day eating, which is abut 50 -60 pounds of bamboo in one day. The next oldest bear that evolved was from the Subfamily Tremaratinae, the family of the Adean (or Spectacled Bear). The Spectacled Bear diverged about 15 million years ago. They are about 5 feet long and weigh 200-300 pounds. They have a black or blackish brown coat, there muzzle throat and chest cream colored, with golden rings around there eyes. They are scarce because of over hunting and people destroying their habitat. The next Bear, the Andean all branch around the same time between 5 and 8 million years ago. Theory’s say Sun Bears split from Sloth bear first and the Black Bear lineages diverged. These bears are closely related in size and what they eat. The most recent evolution recorded are the Brown Bear and the Polar Bear. They are most closely related of the eight types of living bear left. There lines diverged from each other less than one

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