By: Chloe Sun

About 30 million years ago, an early mammal nicknamed the ‘Dawn Bear’ would often look for food near a river in North Dakota. However, it was unaware that the simple act of eating could cause it to die (Wilke 2023).

Paleontologists found the fossil of this bear-like creature in 1982. After a brief inspection of the bodies, it was discovered that the bear-like creature was a male. The creature most likely looked like a raccoon and ate like an otter. By examining animals that still exist and those that are extinct, scientists believe that this animal was likely one of the earliest mammalian carnivores. Scientists came to this conclusion after studying the skull and teeth of the bear.

Vertebrate paleontologist Xiaoming Wang said that the skeleton found near the river in North Dakota is “a fabulous specimen that is just exquisitely preserved.” He also added that “This animal is really telling us a lot of stories” (Wilke 2023). After some debate, Dr. Wang’s team decided to name the animal Eoarctos vorax.

The Eoarctos vorax was around 2 feet long, with bones that resemble the ones found in raccoons. However, their claws are sharper and longer than the modern-day raccoons. These would have been good for climbing trees, hence allowing the Eoarctos vorax to easily escape from predators.

When scientists evaluated the skeleton, a dental exam showed that the animal had broken teeth on the left and right side of its jaw. This most likely caused an infection. Other specimens of this animal’s bone structure also revealed the same issue. “They must have been eating very hard things,” said Dr. Van Valkenburgh. Dr. Wang’s team thinks that this creature ate mollusks, crushing their shells like modern-day otters do (Wilke 2023).

This animal’s diet may have been the main cause of its extinction. When Dr. Wang’s team analyzed this animal’s jaw, they could tell that the animal died young. Possibly because of a blood infection caused by his injuries. The injury would have caused the animal to be in extreme pain for weeks or months.

However, much of this creature’s past remains a mystery to be unveiled.

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