Spelaearctos

a genus of extinct bears that embraced several species. Some zoologists consider the bears to be a subgenus of the genus Ursus. Spelaearctos were distributed in Eurasia during the Pleistocene. Their skeletal structure resembled that of the Eurasian brown bear. However, Spelaearctos had a convex forehead and lacked front premolars. The molars had numerous cusps. The bears lived in forests and on open plains. The most common species lived in caves. Numerous remains of Spelaearctos have been found, as have depictions of them made by ancient hunters.