Ursus Maritimus Tyrannus - Behaviour and Diet

Behaviour and Diet

The diet and hunting behaviour of U. m. tyrannus are virtually unknown, though the similarity of its anatomy to that of the brown bears may suggest that its diet and hunting behaviour were more like those of brown bears than polar bears. The development of the dentition displayed by modern polar bears began as late as 10,000 years ago, as polar bears' diets became more specialized and carnivorous; the process may have started with U. m. tyrannus. In the Pleistocene much of Europe, including England, was covered with ice sheets, and large herbivores such as the woolly mammoth would have been abundant. The prevalence of these prey species, and the general lack of plant material in its environment, might have forced U. m. tyrannus to adopt a more carnivorous diet. The similarity of U. m. tyrannus's build to that of modern brown and polar bears, and its distinctness from species like Arctodus simus, would have made the animal much more suitable for taking on very large prey species, using its massive forelimbs to grab and wrestle down prey. Modern polar bears have been observed to wrestle down and kill animals much heavier than themselves, such as bull walruses.