What is the history of polar bears?

Polar bears stemmed from brown bears (Ursus arctos) about 1 million years ago, according to DNA findings. Fossils are rare. The oldest fossil known is a well-preserved jaw from Svalbard (islands north of Norway). It is considered to be of the last interglacial age (about 130 000 years old).

What are three facts about polar?

Polar Bear Facts

  • Polar bears have black skin!
  • Polar bears weigh as much as a small car.
  • Ice inhabitants.
  • Polar bears are endangered.
  • They are pro arctic amblers!
  • The polar bears diet is super fat.
  • Polar bear cubs are born in snow dens.
  • Baby polar bears live in their snow dens for three months.

Why are polar bears so important?

Polar bears are at the top of the food chain and have an important role in the overall health of the marine environment. Over thousands of years, polar bears have also been an important part of the cultures and economies of Arctic peoples.

How old is the polar bear?

Polar bears can live 20 to 30 years, but only a small percentage of polar bears live past 15 to 18 years. The oldest known polar bear in the Arctic lived 32 years. The oldest known polar bear in a zoological park lived 45 years.

Why is it called a polar bear?

Naming and etymology. Constantine John Phipps was the first to describe the polar bear as a distinct species in 1774 in his report about his 1773 expedition towards the North Pole. He chose the scientific name Ursus maritimus, the Latin for “maritime bear”, due to the animal’s native habitat.

How long can a polar bear last without water?

three months
The closest polar bears come to hibernation is in the case of pregnant females, which build dens so they can give birth to their cubs. These incredibly patient mother polar bears are known to live for up to three months without drinking, eating, or defecating.

How do polar bears live?

Polar bears live in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, and some northern islands owned by Norway, such as Svalbard. Polar bears depend on the sea ice, which forms above the open waters where their seal prey lives.

How did polar bears get their name?

Naming and etymology Constantine John Phipps was the first to describe the polar bear as a distinct species in 1774 in his report about his 1773 expedition towards the North Pole. He chose the scientific name Ursus maritimus, the Latin for “maritime bear”, due to the animal’s native habitat.

How long can polar bear live?

Their lifespan is about 20–25 years. 7. Where do polar bears live? Polar bears live in the Arctic, on ice-covered waters.