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SUPREME GRADE CAVE BEAR (URSUS SPELAEUS) CANINE FANG TOOTH WITH ROOT Cave Deposit - Carpathian Mountains, Romania PLEISTOCENE PERIOD: 200,000 - 20,000 years ago Cave Bear fossils from the true European Cave Bear are rare today. Former sources in Eastern Europe have ended. Not only the complete depletion of rich deposits is to blame but all the countries that were once known for these deposits have now banned the prospecting and export of these fossils. Cave Bear fossils from Europe were once prevalent and specimens of spectacular preservation were common. Today, the opposite is true. European material of exceptional quality and preservation has sky-rocketed in price and will continue to as the increasing collector demand far surpasses available specimens of fine quality. The fang tooth is a prize fossil of these massive, extinct beasts. Usually broken, eroded or seriously damaged, this SUPREME GRADE 10 cave bear canine fang tooth is RARE. It is one of the finest we ever offered but to make this offer in today's market makes it an extra rare opportunity. Cave Bear fang teeth complete with roots are very rare. This tooth has a full and complete root as seen above! The crown is in fantastic preservation with superb enamel. Specimens like this of exceptional quality and size are extremely rare and will continue to increase in price since all former European sources are now banned and protected from further collecting or export. It came from an old inventory collection of a German dealer and has been dry and stable for several years. This specimen is EVEN BETTER THAN THE IMAGES. In a world where nearly every one of these is repaired and restored, we guarantee this specimen is 100% complete, genuine and "as collected" with only a treatment performed to stabilize and conserve its condition. NO FABRICATION OR REPAIR. Most Cave Bear fossil teeth that reach the market are cracked, unstable and will fall apart over time because they were not properly treated and are not fully dried when sold. Caution is needed when buying from dealers that do not know the history or treatment of what they offer because if these teeth are not properly treated and dried, they will continue to break down over time.
BEWARE OF SO-CALLED "RUSSIAN (SIBERIA" CAVE BEAR" FOSSILS being offered on the market. THESE ARE NOT TRUE CAVE BEAR FOSSILS! While cave bear remains have been found in the region, it is another fossil bear species named Ursus uralensis that is being sold as Ursus spelaeus and being labeled as the "Russian Cave Bear". THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISREPRESENTATIONS OF THE FOSSIL BUSINESS TODAY! The Siberian species uralensis was NOT a cave-dwelling bear but is an extinct off-shoot similar to a modern Grizzly bear. Out of ignorance, some dealers will call it Ursus spelaeus, some will call it the right species, but all will call their Russian bear fossils "cave bear" which is a complete misidentification. The features of the Russian non-cave-dwelling species are evident when compared to the true European Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus). The Russian bear species (uralensis) is also not as massive as the true European cave bear, Ursus spelaeus. Basic anatomical features of the skull are easy to differentiate the two. Ursus spelaeus will have larger zygomatic arches (cheek bones), a much steeper forehead and a higher, more pronounced sagittal crest (the crest on the dorsal posterior portion of the skull). Compare the skull images on this page and elsewhere in this section to Russian skulls being sold elsewhere and you will see the difference. Russian bear fossils of Ursus uralensis are MUCH MORE prevalent and found in greater numbers today than high quality TRUE cave bear fossils (Ursus spelaeus), and therefore are less rare and reflect a lower price than the European specimens. Ursus spelaeus was a huge omnivorous bear that resided in caves year-round compared to modern bears which only use caves as a shelter for hibernation. When standing on its hind legs, the height of this beast would have averaged 10 feet tall! Skulls have been found 20 inches in length! The closest relative is our modern day brown bear but the cave bear averages 30% greater in size. One way to differentiate a cave bear skull from a brown bear (and all other bears for that matter) is the sheer size, first off, and also the prominence of the brow and forehead unique to the cave bear. Modern bear skulls have a more gradual sloping forehead. Found throughout caves in Europe, the cave bear was named after the places where its remains are commonly found: caves, in the Alps, the Ardennes, the Carpathian and Ural Mountains, and in many other European mountain chains. Remains found in caves near the North Sea and in The Netherlands show that the range of Ursus spelaeus eventually spread into the lowland forests of western Europe. In this last region, populations drastically declined around 40,000 years ago finally becoming extinct during the last glacial period. It is believed that the cave bears' demise was aided by competition for food and shelter by a simultaneous existence with the brown bear. Evidence found in caves suggests that prehistoric man either worshipped the cave bear or used its remains in religious rituals. If THE best fossil canine is your objective, you will not want to pass this one by. ONE OF THE FINEST GRADE SPECIMENS YOU WILL SEE - SUPER RARE IN TODAY'S MARKET! 4.2" in length on the curve $395 LM40-138 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
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