There is little agreement on classification of brown bears. Some systems have proposed as many as 90 subspecies, while recent DNA analysis has identified as few as five clades. DNA analysis recently revealed that the identified subspecies of brown bears, both Eurasian and North American, are genetically quite homogeneous, and that their genetic phylogeography does not correspond to their traditional taxonomy. As of 2005, 16 subspecies have been recognized. The subspecies have been listed as follows:
East Siberian brown bear | Eurasian Brown Bear | Grizzly Bear |
Himalayan Brown Bear | Kamchatka Brown Bear | Kodiak Bear |
Syrian Brown Bear | Tibetan Blue Bear | Ussuri Brown Bear |
Other subspecies of Brown Bear
Subspecies Name | Distribution | Description |
---|---|---|
Ursus Arctos Nelsoni – Mexican Grizzly Bear (Extinct) | Northern Mexico, including Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora, southwestern United States including southern ranges of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico | This bear is believed extinct due to cattle ranching in both the United States and Mexico. Distinct in its ability to survive arid conditions, it could live in both montane pine forests of Mexico and canyonlands of Sonoran Desert. |
Ursus arctos sitkensis | Baranof Island | Appearing to be more closely related to the polar bear than to other brown bears, this species is called "clade I" by Waits, and others., and is part of the subspecies identified as U. a. sitkensis, by Hall and as U. a. dalli by Kurtén. |
Ursus arctos marsicanus Marsican brown bear | Marsica (a small zone in Central Italy) | No Description |
Ursus arctos stikeenensis | No information | No Description |
Ursus arctos alascensis | Alaska | No Description |
Ursus arctos californicus – California golden bear | California | No Description |
Ursus arctos crowtheri – Atlas bear | California | No Description |
Ursus arctos dalli | No information | No Description |
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