An illustrated reconstruction of the extinct bear Protarctos abstrusus shows what this creature probably looked like when it was alive 3.5 million years ago. Mauricio Antón/Natural History Museum ...

Digital reconstruction of the Canadian Arctic fossil bear, *Protarctos abstrusus*. “So, the Ellesmere bear is important because it suggests that the capacity to exploit the harshest, most ...

Although Protarctos probably closely resembled a black bear in terms of its size and colouring, it is not a direct relative. It is, however, related to the common ancestor shared by all living bears.

The bear, identified as Protarctos abstrusus, was previously known to scientists only on the basis of a tooth discovered in Idaho. The ancient bear was a bit smaller as compared to the modern ...