Inside our very own Crouse Hall lurks one of the most feared apex predators of all time. The creature is a bear, that is eight feet long and can weigh up to the size of a polar bear. Luckily, the bear is not living but merely bones on for display within Crouse Hall. The bear is the skeleton simply referred to as the “cave bear”. The bones are real, except for some small parts.
“You can tell that the bones are real because they have the texture of bone. The little bits that are broken off some of the bones expose the interior of the bones, which is really a network rather than a solid mass. The same goes for our bones. So the bones have not been replaced with plaster or another substance, except perhaps for some small bones here and there, in the front paws of the bear for instance, which may be replacements. But we have not poked all of those bones to be sure. After all, you know about what they say about letting sleeping bears lie (or stand in this case),” says Professor Joseph Hannibal, paleontologist.
And there the bear lies, in Crouse Hall, waiting…to be named.We are reaching out to the students here at The University of Akron to assist with that.
The Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences has formed a contest that students can participate in having a chance to name the “cave bear” by submitting the best name they can think of to the online survey. The contest is going on now and will continue till March 22.
The cave bear is a source of much geological information. The bear hails from Brasov, Romania. Brasov is a city in the Transylvania region, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. For those English majors out there, remember Transylvania is where the fictional Dracula originally hailed from. The skeleton was found in a cave, which is a common location for extinct animals remains can be found in Europe.
Our bear was donated by alumnus John Gifford though we don’t know who excavated the bear. These bears lived around 10,000 to 500,000 years ago and were found in caves because they would die while hibernating.
The scientific name for our Akron cave bear is Ursus Spelaeus. It is quite rare to have this preserved female specimen. Their extinction came during the Pleistocene Epoch. The cause of extinction is debatable as theories range from humans hunting them or as a result of climate cooling.
There are many things left unknown about the bear. It is assumed our bear is female due to the measurements of the teeth, skull, and feet. It could still leave room for more clarification at this time. There are so many unknowns about fossils that are found. The behaviors, habitat preferences, and any evolutionary adaptations are still not defined. The geoscience students imagined things a little differently before it arrived.
“ I remember when we all first saw it, most of us assumed it would be bigger,” President of the Geosciences Club Forest Pence said.“ It’s interesting to think about how modern and ancient bears compare and contrast.”
According to the co-president of the Geoscience club, Alexandra Eves, both geoscience students and non-geoscience students find the bear’s size to be interesting. This is noteworthy because it shows that a common curiosity and interest is being produced from the exhibition.
The increased interest in fossils and questions about extinction have been produced since the cave bear attraction. Students have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to name a piece of history.
Not only do students have a chance to express their creativity but they get a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card.
Likewise, non-geoscience students have the opportunity to learn and take an interest in the field of Geology. During the naming process, names will be chosen on the basis of creativity and humor.
“Your task is simply making up silly names for a bear,” Pence said. “Why not participate?”
Not only will students find the cave bear interesting but there is a myriad of minerals, dinosaur bones, and expansive maps that can be found in Crouse Hall.
Joseph Hannibal, Professor in the Geosciences Department also adds his fascination about the cave bear:“What is not interesting about a cave bear? It’s got big teeth and claws, and it is so was scary you would not like to run into it in real life. Plus you can get a selfie with it?”Hannibal said.
To submit a name one can scan the QR on the side of the cave bear exhibition located on the first floor of Crouse Hall or click the link to submit directly from this article Once names are submitted department heads will narrow down the top five names. Subsequently, the members of the Geoscience Club will decide on the final winner with a vote.
Participate in the contest of naming the cave bear here: https://akron.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eP9eGKyaxh1HBJ4
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