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A prehistoric species of bear lived in Europe, Russia and the middle east during the Pleistocene It became extinct around 24,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Maximum. When hominoids were growing from cave sites.

Both the word cave and the scientific name spelaeus are used because fossils of this species were mostly found in caves
Opposed to the brown bear, which usually only uses caves for hibernation.

Description
Common descriptive characteristics include: Steep forehead, with big nose and snout. They had a strong body, with longer top of limbs than say a black or brown bear. And, more like a polar bear.

Similar to brown bears. Average cave bears were 2 m (6.6 ft) in length. The weight for males was 350 to 600 kg and 770 to 1,320 lb. Though some found had claimed to be 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Females weighed 225 to 250 kg (495 to 550 lb). On, average.

To adjust to temperature changes, during glaciations cave bears grew larger
Male cave bear skeletons have been found with broken bacula (penis bones). Probably due to fighting during the breeding season.

Cave bear longevity is unknown, though it has been estimated that they seldom exceeded twenty years of age

Identification versus polar and kodiak bears
Cave bear humerus and femora bones on females were similar in size to polar bears. And, in winter they could get almost as large.

Taxonomy
In his book: ‘Newly Discovered Zoolites of Scientific classification Unknown Four Footed Animals’. Cave bear skeletons were first described in 1774, by Johann Friedrich Esper.

Esper postulated that they actually belonged to polar bears
Twenty years later, Leipzig universitys Johann Ursus gave the species its binomial name.

Keep or throw away? During wold war 1, because of the scarity of phosphates. Many cave bear bones were used for weapons, and fuel
Scientists, miners, military technicians, and others payed little attention. Cave bear bones were rich source of phosphates. Though some often kept or snuck away with the larger skulls or femur bones that were intact.

Evolution: the last common ancestor of cave and brown bears lived between 1.2–1.4 Mya
The cave bear was thought to be ascended from the plio-pleistocene etruscan bear. Ursus etruscus lived to about 100,000 years ago. And, there was also Deninger’s bear, ursus deningeri, a species restricted to pleistocene Europe about. It lived 1.8 Mya to about 100,000 years ago.

Behaviour & dietary habits
Cave bear teeth were very large, and show greater wear than most modern bear species. It suggests a diet of tougher materials and plants. They even had two large back molars instead of three smaller ones, on more modern species.

Animal predators were rare
Paleontologists doubt full grown cave bears had predators, save for pack-hunting wolves and cave hyenas. Which would probably have attacked the sick or smaller ones.

Did you know? Deep in cave bear dens, there are presences of fully articulated adult cave lion skeletons. It indicates the cats may have occasionally tried to enter. So they could stay warm, or prey on hibernated bears. And, with many dying in the attempt.

Range and habitat
Cave bears ihabited low mountainous areas, espeially in regions rich in limestone caves. Territory ranged from Spain and Ireland in the west. To Italy, Germany, Poland, Romania, Georgia, and parts of Russia, including northern Iran. During these times, many northern countries had glaciers, and no remains have been found.
The largest numbers of cave bear remains are around the Pyrenees, Alps, and Carpathians. Austria, Switzerland, northern Italy, northern Spain, southern France, and Romania also had cave bears.

Where were the skeletons found?
Heinrichshöhle in Hemer; and, the Dechenhöhle in Iserlohn, Germany;
Kletno Bear Cave, in Poland;
There are Bears Cave, in Romania;
Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island, in Russia;
And, many others.

Did you know? In Georgia. A couple of years ago a full skeleton was found preserved. Even with its nose intact.

Extinction
A few years ago, Scientists re-accessed fossils, and vouched cave bear probably died out 24,000 years ago. (1)

There diet was more specialized, comprised more of high quality plants, and they lived in a restricted range. Additional mitochondrial DNA research indicated that the genetic decline of the cave bear began, long before it became extinct
Around 40 thousand years ago, humans, neanderthals, homonids; and, cave bears begin competing for caves. Climate change was not the sole cause of there extinction.

Unlike brown bears, cave bears are seldom represented in cave art, but as trophies, in worship or graves
It is believed humans may have avoided cave bear until they had to. And, that it may have been necessary for survival. As shown when populations and thus competitions increased for shelter, humans and neanderthals became a threat.

If cave bears couldn’t find caves, or they were full. It would have caused a extremely high winter mortality rate

Spanish ‘cave bear radar’ theory (2)
A study of cave bear mtDNA (mitochondrial dna), showed caves used were found to contain almost exclusively a unique lineage, of closely related haplotypes. This indicated a homing like behaviour. Especially for birthing and hibernation areas. In conclusion, the study showed cave bears could not easily colonize new sites. Especially when in competition with humans resources.

Relationship with humans: The Swiss; and french trophy skull(s) (3)
In the early part of the 1900s, the Drachenloch cave in Switzerland was excavated. Emil Bächler, and his crew, uncovered more than 30,000 cave bear skeletons. A stone chest or cist, consisting of a low built walls from limestone slabs was also uncovered. Inside it was a number of cave bear skulls. Most scholars agree it was proof of prehistoric human religious (or animal) rites, and that the skulls were kept as trophies.

Though some archaeologists argue the evidence for religious practices is “far from convincing”
A similar phenomenon was encountered in southern France, at Regourdou. A rectangular pit contained the remains of at least twenty bears. And, was covered by a massive stone slab. The remains of a neanderthal, a bear humerus, scraper, core, and flakes, were also found inside.

One thing is for certain. Close to the last glacial maximum. 24,000 years was a long time ago. Humans and megafauna would have done whatever it took to survive. Check it out with some more neolithic architecture today!

Citation: 1) “Caves of Switzerland: Drachenloch” (https://web.archive.org/web/20130508045303/http://www.showcaves.com/english/ch/caves/Drachenloch.html). Archived from the original (http://www.showcaves.com/english/ch/caves/Drachenloch.html)

2) Loreille, O.; et al. (2001). “Ancient DNA analysis reveals divergence of the cave bear, Ursus spelaeus, and brown bear, Ursus arctos, lineages”. Current Biology. 11 (3): 200–203. doi:10.1016/S0960-9822(01)00046-X. PMID11231157.

3) Terlato, Gabriele; Bocherens, Hervé; Romandini, Matteo; Nannini, Nicola; Hobson, Keith A.;
Peresani, Marco (2019-04-21). “Chronological and Isotopic data support a revision for the timing
of cave bear extinction in Mediterranean Europe” (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/
08912963.2018.1448395). Historical Biology. 31 (4): 474–484.
doi:10.1080/08912963.2018.1448395 (https://doi.org/10.1080%2F08912963.2018.1448395).
ISSN 0891-2963 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0891-2963). S2CID 90029163 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:90029163).

Bibliography:

Cave Bears. Jan Kowalski. psu.edu

Bernd Brunner (2007). Bears: A Brief History. Yale University Press. p. 41. ISBN978-0-300-12299-2.

Argant A, Crégut-Bonnoure E (1996). “Famille des Ursidae”. In Guérin, C., Patou-Mathis, M. (eds.). Les grands mammiferes Plio-Pleistocenes d’Europe. Paris, FR: Masson. pp. 167–177.