Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Melursus ursinus (sloth bear)

Mammalia - Carnivora - Ursidae

Taxonomy
Bradypus ursinus was named by Shaw (1791). It is extant.

It was recombined as Prochilus ursinus by Illiger (1811); it was recombined as Melursus ursinus by Ewer (1973) and Waits et al. (1999); it was recombined as Ursus ursinus by Larivière (2001).

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1791Bradypus ursinus Shaw
1809Arceus niger Goldfuss
1811Prochilus ursinus Illiger p. 109
1973Melursus ursinus Ewer
1999Melursus ursinus Waits et al. p. 90
2001Ursus ursinus Larivière p. 1

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
Mammaliamorpha
Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
RankNameAuthor
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Ferae()
CarnivoramorphaWyss and Flynn 1993
CarnivoraformesFlynn et al.
orderCarnivora
suborderCaniformiaKretzoi 1943
infraorderCanoidea(Simpson 1931)
superfamilyArctoideaFlower 1869
Ursida
superfamilyUrsoideaFischer de Waldheim 1817
familyUrsidaeGray 1825
subfamilyUrsinaeSwainson 1835
genusMelursusMeyer 1793
speciesursinus(Shaw 1791)

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Melursus ursinus Shaw 1791 [sloth bear]
show all | hide all
Invalid names: Arceus niger Goldfuss 1809 [synonym]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingf
Diet: herbivoref
Diet 2: carnivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2005-06-08 10:11:10
Modified: 2005-08-22 19:31:30
Source: f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Nowak 1991, Ji et al. 2002, Lillegraven 1979, Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988
Collections
No collection or age range data are available