Arctotherium species

[divingwolf]

Wikipedia lists 7 species for Arctotherium: A. angustidens, A. bonariense, A. brasilense, A. latidens, A. tarijense, A. vetustum, A. wingei.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctotherium

Paleobiology Database states:
Subtaxa: Arctotherium (Arctotherium), Arctotherium (Pararctotherium), Arctotherium brasiliensis, Arctotherium vetustum

Source: paleodb.org/
(Search for Arctotherium.)

Arctotherium angustiden is described in the following sources:
www.animal-dino.com/prehistoric_world.html
apaleontologica.blogspot.ca/2011/01/los-osos-fosiles-los-otros-gigantes.html
www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/02/demythologizing-arctotherium-the-biggest-bear-ever/

However, in a publication of 2000, Leopoldo Soibelzon, the leading South American bear expert, states that Arctotherium has only one known species, Arctotherium latidens.

"A pesar que desde 1857 fueron descritas más de cinco (5) especies dentro del género Arctotherium, actualmente se solo considera la validez de Arctotherium latidens (Soibelzon et al. 2000)."

Translation: "Although since 1857 more than five (5) species were described within the genus Arctotherium, currently one only considers the validity of Arctotherium latidens (Soibelzon et al. 2000)."

Source: www.cecalc.ula.ve/bioinformatica/oso/evol_contenido.htm

SOIBELZON, L. 2000. Nueva evidencia sobre la relación filogenética entre los osos pleistocenos de América del Sur y del Norte. Rev. Cuaternario y Cien. Ambien., 1: 45-50.

SOIBELZON, L., M. BOND & E. SOIBELZON. 2000. The systematic identity of the type of Arctotherium bonariensis Gervais, 1852 (Ursidae: Tremarctinae), Ameghiniana, 37 (4), Suplemento de resúmenes.

SOIBELZON, L., TONNI, E. P. & BOND, M. 2001. Arctotherium latidens (Ursidae, Tremarctinae) en el Pleistoceno de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Comentarios Sistemáticos y Bioestratigráficos. Proceedings of XII Congreso Latinoamericano de Geología y III Congreso Uruguayo de Geología.

[grrraaahhh]

@ divingwolf, look at the following link:

shaggygod.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=americaspleistocene&action=display&thread=329&page=2


I like the idea (although I haven't had the time to process & post relating material) of a thread covering the Genus: Arctotherium.

FWIW, I'm a BIG prehistoric bear fan too!

CHEERS

[sarus]

Dec 1, 2012 20:29:38 GMT -9 divingwolf said:

However, in a publication of 2000, Leopoldo Soibelzon, the leading South American bear expert, states that Arctotherium has only one known species, Arctotherium latidens.

"A pesar que desde 1857 fueron descritas más de cinco (5) especies dentro del género Arctotherium, actualmente se solo considera la validez de Arctotherium latidens (Soibelzon et al. 2000)."

Translation: "Although since 1857 more than five (5) species were described within the genus Arctotherium, currently one only considers the validity of Arctotherium latidens (Soibelzon et al. 2000)."

Source: www.cecalc.ula.ve/bioinformatica/oso/evol_contenido.htm

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In this paper the authors (Soibelzon et al.) establish the existence of two (2) genera within the group of South American short-faced bears:

1) Arctotherium (gigantic and big bears — one species, the "Arctotherium latidens") and;

2) Pararctotherium (medium-sized and small-sized bears, comprising three species — Pararctotherium enectum, P. pamparum and P. brasiliense).

However, it's necessary to say that this paper brings a currently "outdated" taxonomy of the extinct South American short-faced bears. Since its publication in 2002(?), Soibelzon has published a number of papers in which he proposes a revised and more "simplified" taxonomy/classification. Today, there is a increasing trend to abandon older and sometimes improper terminologies in favor of the most recent ones proposed by Soibelzon.

According to the above mentioned author, there was only one (1) genus in the extinct South American bears of the Subfamily Tremarctinae — Arctotherium — and only five (5) species are recognized:

1 - Arctotherium angustidens

2 - Arctotherium bonariense

3 - Arctotherium tarijense

4 - Arctotherium vetustum

5 - Arctotherium wingei

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[sarus]

Arctotherium brasiliensis, lateral view of skull, 3/4 natural size.



"Arctotherium brasiliensis" AKA Arctotherium brasiliense and Arctotherium wingei.
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Source: H. V. WALTER (1940)
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