De holenbeer

In this article an overview is given of the habitat, features, geological age, sites, age profile, sexual dimorphism, evolution, possible worship by Neanderthals, present-day research and the extinction of the cave bear, Ursus spelaeus. The cave bear lived in Europe during the Late Pleistocene till about 16,000 years ago. Fossils are, for the greater part, found in caves, sometimes in large numbers, reaching up to even 30,000 individuals. The skeletons belong to juvenile, ill or very old individuals. Cave bears probably reached ages of 20 to 25 years. Males were much larger than females, though there is much overlap, except for the measurements of the canines, which are clearly larger in the males. The evolution of Ursavus, the first bear-like animal (Early Miocene), through Ursus etruscus and Ursus deningeri to Ursus spelaeus was a very gradual one, which makes the distinction between the species difficult. A real bear worship by the Neanderthals is very unlikely; at the most a kind of hunting ritual took place. In caves not only cave bears are found, but also brown and black bears. Of these, only the cave bear got extinct, probably due to its strictly vegetarian diet.