Mammal
Arctodus
The large Arctodus simus is interpreted as an omnivore, rather than an exclusive specialized hunter.
Arctodus included two species of different sizes, not a single giant bear.
Three stages. One companion.
Game artwork
AI-generated, stylized game illustrations. These designs and growth stages are imaginative, not scientific reconstructions.
Arctodus at a glance
- Diet
- Variable and debated diet
- Carnivory, scavenging, and omnivory have all been proposed. Evidence varies between regions and specimens, so no single obligatory diet is assigned here.
- When it lived
- Quaternary
- Group
- Ursidae
- Ursids
- Fossil locations
- United States, Canada, Mexico
- Places where fossils have been found
Beyond the game
The real Arctodus
The genus brings together the lesser short-faced bear and the giant A. simus. The latter is known from more complete remains and had a broader North American distribution.
The best-known species, the giant Arctodus simus, is interpreted as an omnivore. Size alone does not prove that it was a specialized hunter living entirely on meat.
This grouping describes evolutionary relationships. Its members share ancestors; they do not form a chain in which one must turn into another.
Fossil discoveries
Selected fossil records · present-day map
Map references
Map: Natural Earth, public domain. Fossil records: linked collections and publications.A note on the science
The best-known species, the giant Arctodus simus, is interpreted as an omnivore. Size alone does not prove that it was a specialized hunter living entirely on meat.
Sources & text credits
Explore the references behind this profile.
- Arctodus
Wikipedia contributors · Spanish source
Educational text adapted and translated from this article by Wikipedia contributors. The revision link, when captured in the source catalogue, identifies the source version.
- Arctodus
Wikipedia contributors · English source
Educational text adapted and translated from this article by Wikipedia contributors. The revision link, when captured in the source catalogue, identifies the source version.
- Ursidae
Wikipedia contributors · English source
Educational text adapted and translated from this article by Wikipedia contributors. The revision link, when captured in the source catalogue, identifies the source version.
Educational text adapted in English from the existing Wikipedia-backed Dinosgacha catalogue and linked articles by Wikipedia contributors.
Existing English translations have been selected and arranged for this encyclopedia. Repeated period and diet text is omitted where those fields already carry it. Unknown facts remain unfilled; unreviewed geological age phrases are omitted and period labels replace numerical ages.
The adapted educational text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0. This text license does not apply to the game illustrations.