MacFarlane's Bear
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| MacFarlane's Bear | ||||||||||||||
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see text
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| Ursus inopinatus (Merriam, 1918) |
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Vetularctos inopinatus Merriam, 1918 |
The MacFarlane's Bear is a proposed extinct species of bear that was found in Canada's Northwest Territories. In 1864, naturalist Robert MacFarlane acquired an "enormous" yellow-furred bear skin from the Inuit, as well as the bear's skull. MacFarlane shipped the remains to the Smithsonian Institution where they were placed in storage and soon forgotten. Eventually, Dr. Clinton Hart Merriam uncovered the remains, which he recognized as a new species, Ursus inopinatus. In 1918, he described the specimen as a new species and genus, Vetularctos inopinatus, calling it the "patriarchal bear."[1]
With the exception of unconfirmed sightings, the MacFarlane's Bear is sometimes thought to have gone extinct since the specimen was obtained in 1864. There have been many theories concerning the origin of the MacFarlane's Bear, which include suggestions that it may have been a Grizzly–polar bear hybrid, or even a surviving representative of a Pleistocene species.
It is known nowadays that grizzly-polar bear hybrids do occur on occasion and that they match the specimen's description very well, notably the pale tan fur, and apparently also the oddly shaped skull which led Merriam to propose his new genus. While this seems to be a satisfying explanation, it was not tested thoroughly because the hybridization theory was for long just that. Now that more than circumstantial data from such hybrids exists, ancient DNA analysis and/or a morphological study of the skull may well resolve the case of McFarlane's specimen. If it turns out to be a hybrid, the subgenus (or genus, if the Polar Bear is considered also distinct) would become invalid, and the correct scientific name of MacFarlane's Bear (and all other Brown Bear-Polar Bear hybrids) would be Ursus × inopinatus.
[edit] References
- Karl Shuker (1997). From Flying Toads To Snakes With Wings. Llewellyn, St Paul. ISBN 1-56718-673-4
- ^ Mystery Bears. Reprinted with permission from Rumors of Existence, Matthew A. Bille at Strange Ark. Retrieved on February 5, 2008
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