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Approximate Dates of Origin of Bear Species

SPECIES DATE OF ORIGIN
FROM FOSSIL
EVIDENCE 		DATE OF ORIGIN
FROM GENETIC
EVIDENCE 		 AREA OF ORIGIN
Panda Bear
Superfamily
Ailuropodinae
> 15 MYA*
Agriarctos
18-22 MYA*
Central Asia
Short-faced Bear
Superfamily
Tremarctinae
> 6 MYA*
Plionarctos
12-15 MYA*
North America
Giant Short-faced Bear
Artodus simus
    North America
Spectacled Bear
Tremarctos ornatus
    South America
True Bear

Family Ursidae  

> 5 MYA*

Ursus minimus

4-8 MYA* Northeastern Asia
Sloth Bear
Ursus ursinus
  7 MYA*
South-central Asia

(India?)

Sun Bear
Ursus malayanus
  5 MYA*
South-east Asia
(Islands?)
Asiatic Black Bear
Ursus thibetanus
   5 MYA*
Central Asia
(Himalayas?)
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
> 3.5 MYA*  5 MYA*
North America
Giant Panda
Ailuropoda melanoleuca
> 600,000 years ago   
Central Asia
(China?)
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
> 500,000 years ago
(China)
> 900,000 years ago

(France)  

 1 MYA* Northern Asia
Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus
c 300,000 years ago   1 MYA* Northern Siberia
Cave Bear
Ursus spelaus
> 300,000 years ago

(Europe)  

  Europe

* million years ago