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The steppe brown bear (Ursus arctos priscus) is a disputed extinct subspecies of brown bear that lived in Eurasia during either the Pleistocene or the early Holocene epochs, but its geological age is uncertain.[1] Fossils of the bear have been found in various caves in Slovakia, particularly those of Vazec, Vyvieranie, Lisková, Kupcovie Izbicka, and Okno.[2] It is argued that the subspecies should be rendered invalid, as its geological age is unclear and "its skull is identical to modern U. arctos."[3][1]
 | This taxon may be invalid (Unclear geological age and skull similarity with modern brown bear). (April 2022) |
| Ursus arctos priscus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
_(fig._2).png) | |
| Illustration of a steppe brown bear battling a cave lion | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Ursidae |
| Genus: | Ursus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | †U. a. priscus |
| Trinomial name | |
| †Ursus arctos priscus | |
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Adult males in average would have weighed 700–800 kg (1,500–1,800 lb), with the largest individuals weighing up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb).[4] It was more carnivorous than a modern brown bear, consuming 50 kg (110 lb) of meat per day.[4]
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