Bear in mind: the last diets of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) from the Late Pleistocene in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

The diet of the extinct European cave bear, Ursus spelaeus, has been widely debated. The aim is to reconstruct the feeding habits of the cave bear through dental microwear analyzing the dietary patterns in several Middle Paleolithic populations from caves located in Catalonia (Spain) that occupy different biotopes: Ermitons, Arbreda, Llenes, Toll, Crusanes and Teixoneres. The results from these populations will be compared with a reference collection that includes a wide diversity of extant ursids: Ailuropoda melanoleuca, Helarctos malayanus, Melursus ursinus, Tremarctos ornatus, Ursus americanus, Ursus maritimus and Ursus thibetanus. First, we will test the hypothesis that populations that lived in different habitats will have different dietary habits. Second, bearing in mind that microwear provides information about the diet that the animal had during the last days/weeks before dying, this type of studies can provide data of temporary resolution to address the possible causes of its extinction linked to its diet from another perspective.