Cave Bear Skull Fossil

The cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) was a massive creature, most similar in stature to the modern Kodiak bear. This was one of the first megafaunal species to become extinct during the Last Glacial Maximum: the most recent cave bear fossil finds date to approximately 24,000 years ago. Cave bears and prehistoric humans would have competed for the warmth and shelter of caves during frigid winters, and there is evidence of at least one successful cave bear hunt. The likeness of the cave bear has been immortalized in paleolithic paintings on the walls of Chauvet Cave that date to nearly 40,000 years ago—some of the oldest extant artwork in the world. This particular fossilized cave bear skull dates to 100,000 years ago and was discovered in Romania.