Late quaternary brown bear (Ursidae: Ursus cf. arctos) from a cave in the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona

TL;DRAbstract

In 2008, Steve Willsey discovered the fragmentary cranium of a bear loose on the floor of a cave at about 2270 m elevation near the crest of the Huachuca Mountains. In 2009, we revisited the cave to examine the specimen with the intention of identifying the species. We photographed and measured the main pieces and left them in the cave. The skull is from an adult, probably male, with prominent sagittal crest. Bears are highly variable morphologically and their remains are difficult to identify. The morphological features and measurements of the Huachuca Mountains cranium are somewhat equivocal, but most available features indicate a brown bear, Ursus cf. arctos. Some parts are encrusted with carbonate and could be better examined after collection and preparation as well as comparison with late Pleistocene brown and black bears. Based on its state of preservation, the cranium possibly represents a late Pleistocene occurrence, which could be determined by radiometric dating. There is no

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