Detection of bear fossils dating to 120,000 years in Argentina

On March 14, Argentine scientists announced the discovery of a fossil of a giant bear of the late Pleistocene , dating back about 120,000 years in an archaeological site located in the northwest of Buenos Aires province.

Measure the size of Arectotherium bears and humans.

Archaeologist Leopoldo Soibelzon of the La Plata Museum said the fossil was found to be the Arectotherium bear 's complete skull and jaw, and judged it to be an extraordinary discovery because in predators , fossil bears are the least found.

According to Soibelzon, although bears live in the late Pleistocene, they are much smaller than those of the same species living in the Early Pleistocene (about 1 million years ago), but still are giant bears compared to the present. now on.

Soibelzon expert confirmed that this finding will help Argentine scientists better understand the evolution of predators and ecosystems during their lifetime.

Previously, Argentine scientists also found the largest Arctotherium angustidens bear fossil dating back to 780,000 years.

The Pleistocene is the third in the Neogene period.