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Differentiating Black Bears (Ursus Americanus) And Brown Bears (U. Arctos) Using Linear Tooth Measurements And Identification Of Ursids From Oregon Caves National Monument, Emily Bogner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North American black bears and brown bears can be difficult to distinguish in the fossil record due to similar dental and skeletal morphologies. Challenges identifying ursid material from Oregon Caves National Monument (ORCA) called for an accurate tool to distinguish the species. This study utilized a large database of lower tooth lengths and ratios in an attempt to differentiate black and brown bears in North America. Further, this project examined how these linear measurements differ geographically. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) found significant differences between black and brown bears from across North America for every variable studied. Stepwise discriminant analyses (DA) …