Paleontolog Leopoldo Soibelzon membandingkan fosil tulang lengan atas beruang prasejarah yang ditemukan dengan kerangka gajah.
KOMPAS.com — Telah lahir juara baru untuk kategori beruang yang terbesar dan terburuk rupa yang pernah ditemukan. Seekor beruang prasejarah Amerika Selatan dengan bobot 1.600 kilogram dan tinggi saat berdiri mencapai 3,4 meter menjadi juaranya, menurut penemuan terbaru. Sebelumnya, beruang raksasa Amerika Utara dengan bobot 1.134 kilogram tercatat sebagai beruang prasejarah yang terbesar. Untuk beruang modern, rekor dipegang oleh beruang kutub Alaska dengan 998 kilogram.
Beruang Amerika Selatan ini menjelajahi Benua Amerika sekitar 500.000 hingga 2 juta tahun yang lalu. Menurut ilmuwan, beruang itu merupakan karnivora terbesar dan terkuat yang ada pada zamannya. "Sebagai karnivora, tak ada yang mendekati keperkasaan beruang Amerika Selatan ini," ujar Blaine Schubert, paleontologis dari East Tennessee State University di Johnson City, Tennessee.
Tulang-belulang beruang itu ditemukan di Provinsi Buenos Aires, Argentina, pada 1935. Baru-baru ini, tulang tersebut diteliti kembali oleh Schubert dan Leopoldo Soibelzon, seorang paleontologis dari Argentina yang mempunyai spesialisasi dalam meneliti fosil beruang Amerika Selatan. Peneliti mengukur tulang lengan atas yang hampir sebesar lengan atas gajah, dengan begitu sisa dari ukuran badan beruang dapat diperkirakan. Penelitian itu juga mengemukakan bahwa beruang jantan tua tersebut mengalami luka yang cukup serius selama hidupnya.
Ukuran Amat Penting "“Entah apa yang dimakan dan bagaimana cara dia makan, pertanyaan muncul saat menyadari beruang itu amat berbeda dengan saudaranya, beruang Amerika Utara," kata Schubert. Sebagai perbandingan, spesies beruang Amerika Selatan membesar dan kemudian mengecil seiring berjalannya waktu, berbeda dengan beruang Amerika Utara yang spesiesnya terus membesar.
Schubert mengindikasikan bahwa persediaan mangsa yang melimpah dan kompetisi yang sedikit, membuat beruang Amerika Selatan menjadi raja dari benua itu. Tetapi, seiring dengan evolusi dari karnivora, beruang itu pun beradaptasi dan menjadi lebih omnivora, layaknya beruang modern.
Di Amerika Utara, peningkatan ukuran dari beruang, menjadi keuntungan tersendiri. Kucing bergigi belati dan predator lain telah menyingkir, menurut beberapa peneliti. Kekuasaan beruang Amerika Utara mungkin bertepatan dengan hewan zaman es, seperti unta dan mammoth. (National Geographic Indonesia/Arief Sujatmoko)
Bear Greatest of All Time
Paleontologists Leopoldo Soibelzon comparing the upper arm bone fossil found in prehistoric bear with elephant skeleton.
KOMPAS.com - a new champion has been born to bear the largest category and the worst way ever discovered. A bear prehistoric South America and weighs 1600 kilograms and standing height reached 3.4 meters to the champion, according to recent findings. Previously, North America with a giant bear the weight of 1134 pounds was recorded as the largest prehistoric bear. For modern bears, a record held by Alaskan polar bears with 998 kilograms.
Bear this in South America to explore the American continent about 500,000 to 2 million years ago. According to scientists, the bear is the largest and most powerful carnivores that exist in his day. "As a carnivore, no one approach might bear this in South America," said Blaine Schubert, paleontologists from the East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Bear bones were found in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1935. Recently, the bones are examined again by Schubert and Leopoldo Soibelzon, a palaeontologist from Argentina who specializes in researching South American fossil bears. Researchers measure the upper arm bone is almost as big as arm of an elephant, so the rest of the bear body size can be estimated. The study also suggests that bears the old male suffered serious injuries during his life.
Size Very Important "" I do not know what to eat and how he ate, the question arises as to realize the bear was very different from his brother, the North American bears, "said Schubert. In comparison, the South American bear species grow and then shrink over time, unlike the North American bear species continues to grow.
Bear this in South America to explore the American continent about 500,000 to 2 million years ago. According to scientists, the bear is the largest and most powerful carnivores that exist in his day. "As a carnivore, no one approach might bear this in South America," said Blaine Schubert, paleontologists from the East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Bear bones were found in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1935. Recently, the bones are examined again by Schubert and Leopoldo Soibelzon, a palaeontologist from Argentina who specializes in researching South American fossil bears. Researchers measure the upper arm bone is almost as big as arm of an elephant, so the rest of the bear body size can be estimated. The study also suggests that bears the old male suffered serious injuries during his life.
Size Very Important "" I do not know what to eat and how he ate, the question arises as to realize the bear was very different from his brother, the North American bears, "said Schubert. In comparison, the South American bear species grow and then shrink over time, unlike the North American bear species continues to grow.
Schubert indicated that an abundant supply of prey and a little competition, making a bear of South America becomes king of the continent. But, along with the evolution of carnivores, the bear had to adapt and become more omnivorous, like modern bears.
In North America, increasing the size of a bear, be a distinct advantage. Dagger-toothed cats and other predators have been out of the way, according to some researchers. North American bear power may coincide with an ice age animals, like camels and mammoths. (National Geographic Indonesia / Ariel Sujatmoko)
In North America, increasing the size of a bear, be a distinct advantage. Dagger-toothed cats and other predators have been out of the way, according to some researchers. North American bear power may coincide with an ice age animals, like camels and mammoths. (National Geographic Indonesia / Ariel Sujatmoko)