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Taxonomy
Arctotherium simum was named by Cope (1879) [Holotype not figured in original description; later figured in E. D. Cope (1891: plate 21) American Naturalist 25:997-999.]. Its type specimen is AMNH 8222, a skull (skull), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Potter Creek Cave, which is in a Pleistocene cave horizon in California.
It was recombined as Tremarctotherium simum by Kraglievich (1926), Schultz (1938), Rinker (1949), Hibbard (1955) and Hibbard (1955); it was recombined as Arctodus simus by Hay (1902), Kurten (1967), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Emslie and Czaplewski (1985), Carranza-Castaneda and Miller (1987), Gillette and Madsen (1992), Richards and Turnbull (1995), Richards et al. (1996) and Schubert and Kaufmann (2003).
It was recombined as Tremarctotherium simum by Kraglievich (1926), Schultz (1938), Rinker (1949), Hibbard (1955) and Hibbard (1955); it was recombined as Arctodus simus by Hay (1902), Kurten (1967), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Emslie and Czaplewski (1985), Carranza-Castaneda and Miller (1987), Gillette and Madsen (1992), Richards and Turnbull (1995), Richards et al. (1996) and Schubert and Kaufmann (2003).
Synonyms
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Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1879 | Arctotherium simum Cope |
| 1902 | Arctodus simus Hay p. 763 |
| 1911 | Arctotherium yukonense Lambe p. 24 |
| 1911 | Arctotherium californicum Merriam p. 165 figs. 1 - 3 |
| 1916 | Dinarctotherium merriami Barbour p. 349 figs. 1 - 6 |
| 1926 | Tremarctotherium californicum Kraglievich |
| 1926 | Tremarctotherium simum Kraglievich |
| 1926 | Tremarctotherium yukonense Kraglievich |
| 1938 | Tremarctotherium simum Schultz |
| 1938 | Tremarctotherium yukonense Schultz |
| 1949 | Tremarctotherium simum Rinker |
| 1955 | Tremarctotherium simum Hibbard p. 51 |
| 1967 | Arctodus simus Kurten |
| 1980 | Arctodus simus Kurten and Anderson p. 180 |
| 1985 | Arctodus simus Emslie and Czaplewski p. 3 |
| 1987 | Arctodus simus Carranza-Castaneda and Miller p. 340 |
| 1992 | Arctodus simus Gillette and Madsen p. 107 |
| 1995 | Arctodus simus Richards and Turnbull p. 2 |
| 1995 | Arctodus simus yukonensis Richards and Turnbull p. 2 |
| 1996 | Arctodus simus Richards et al. |
| 2003 | Arctodus simus Schubert and Kaufmann p. 104 |
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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.
†Arctodus simus Cope 1879 [giant short-faced bear]
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Invalid names: Arctotherium californicum Merriam 1911 [synonym], Arctotherium yukonense Lambe 1911 [synonym], Dinarctotherium merriami Barbour 1916 [synonym]
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| Cope 1879 | In dimensions the skull equals that of the grizzly bear, but it is very differently proportioned. The muzzle is much shorter, and is wide, and descends obliquely downwards from the very convex frontal region. It wants the large postorbital processes of the grizzly, but has the tuberosities of the polar bear (U. maritimus), which it also resembles in the convexity of the front. Sagittal crest well developed. Three (one median and posterior) incisive foramina: three external infraorbital foramina. The teeth are large, and the series presents the peculiarity of being without diastema. The crowns of the premolars are not preserved, but if there were not three premolars, the second tooth has two well developed roots. First true molar with but two external and one internal tubercle. The absence of diastema renders it necessary to separate this bear from the true Ursi, and I propose to regard it, provisionally, as a species of Arctotherium Gerv. |