Of these short-faced bears, Arctodus was the most widespread in North America. simus seems to have preferred open woodlands, but was an adaptable species, taking advantage of many habitats and feeding opportunities.Īrctodus belongs to the Tremarctinae subfamily of bears, which are endemic to the Americas. Studies suggest that Arctodus simus both browsed on vegetation and consumed browsing herbivores, such as deer, camelids, and tapir. The largest males stood at 1.5 meters at the shoulder, and up to 3 meters tall on their rear legs. simus ranged between 300 kg to 950 kg, with females clustering at ≤500 kg, and males around 800 kg.
However, Arctodus, like other bears, was highly sexually dimorphic. Today considered to be an enormous omnivore, Arctodus simus is believed to be one of the largest known terrestrial mammalian carnivorans that has ever existed. simus was larger, is known from more complete remains, and is considered one of the most charismatic of North America's megafauna. pristinus, but both species likely overlapped in the Middle Pleistocene. simus had a cosmopolitan range, with most finds being from the Late Pleistocene of the US, Mexico and Canada. pristinus was largely restricted to the Early Pleistocene of the eastern United States, whereas A.
Both species are relatively rare in the fossil record- A. There are two recognized species: the lesser short-faced bear ( Arctodus pristinus) and the giant short-faced bear ( Arctodus simus). Arctodus is an extinct genus of short-faced bear that inhabited North America during the Pleistocene (~2.5 Mya until 12,000 years ago).