Here you will find a classification of bears based on their family (Ursidae). You can also see the scientific names as well as the time the bears lived. Also, see all the extinct bears marked with a †. If you want to learn more about a specific species of bear click the link (if available).
Family: Ursidae | Extent / Latin Name |
Subfamily: Amphicynodontinae † | |
Genus: Parictis † | 38 mya. (million years ago) |
Parictis bathygenus † | Parictis bathygenus |
Parictis dakotensis † | Parictis dakotensis |
Parictis gilpini † | Parictis gilpini |
Parictis major † | Parictis major |
Parictis montanus † | Parictis montanus |
Parictis parvus † | Parictis parvus |
Parictis personi † | Parictis personi |
Parictis primaevus † | Parictis primaevus |
Genus: Allocyon † | 28.5-29.5 mya. |
Allocyon loganensis † | Allocyon loganensis |
Genus: Kolponomos † | 20 mya. |
Kolponomos clallamensis † | Kolponomos clallamensis |
Kolponomos newportensis † | Kolponomos newportensis |
Subfamily: Hemicyoninae † | |
Genus: Ursavus † | 22 mya. |
Ursavus brevirhinus † | Ursavus brevirhinus |
Ursavus depereti † | Ursavus depereti |
Ursavus ehrenbergi † | Ursavus ehrenbergi |
The Dawn Bear † | Ursavus elmensis |
Ursavus intermedius † | Ursavus intermedius |
Ursavus isorei † | Ursavus isorei |
Ursavus pawniensis † | Ursavus pawniensis |
Ursavus primaevus † | Ursavus primaevus |
Ursavus sylvestris † | Ursavus sylvestris |
Subfamily: Agriotheriinae † | |
Genus: Indarctos † | 11.1 – 5.3 mya. |
Indarctos arctoides † | Indarctos arctoides |
Indarctos atticus † | Indarctos atticus |
Indarctos atticus anthracitis † | Indarctos atticus anthracitis (subspecies) |
Indarctos atticus bakalovi † | Indarctos atticus bakalovi (subspecies) |
Indarctos atticus lagrelii † | Indarctos atticus lagrelii (subspecies) |
Indarctos atticus punjabiensis † | Indarctos atticus punjabiensis (subspecies) |
Indarctos oregonensis † | Indarctos oregonensis |
Indarctos salmontanus † | Indarctos salmontanus |
Indarctos sinensis † | Indarctos sinensis |
Indarctos vireti † | Indarctos vireti |
Indarctos zdanskyi † | Indarctos zdanskyi |
Genus: Agriotherium † | 9-2 mya. |
Agriotherium africanum † | Agriotherium africanum |
Agriotherium inexpectans † | Agriotherium inexpectans |
Agriotherium roblesi † | Agriotherium roblesi |
Agriotherium schneideri † | Agriotherium schneideri |
Agriotherium sivalensis † | Agriotherium sivalensis |
Subfamily: Ailuropodinae | 20 mya. |
Genus: Agriarctos † | |
Genus: Ailurarctos † | 8 mya. |
Primal Panda † | Ailurarctos lufengensis |
Ailurarctos yuanmouensis † | Ailurarctos yuanmouensis |
Genus: Ailuropoda | 3-2 mya. |
Pygmy Giant Panda † | Ailuropoda microta |
Ailuropoda wulingshanensis † | Ailuropoda wulingshanensis |
Ailuropoda baconi † | Ailuropoda baconi |
Dwarf Panda † | Ailuropoda minor |
Giant Panda Bear | Ailuropoda melanoleuca |
Qinling Panda | Ailuropoda melanoleuca quinlingensis (subspecies) |
Subfamily: Tremarctinae | |
Genus: Plionarctos † | 8-7 mya. |
Plionarctos edensis † | Plionarctos edensis |
Plionarctos harroldorum † | Plionarctos harroldorum |
Plionarctos telonensis † | Plionarctos telonensis |
Genus: Arctodus † | 5-2 mya. |
Brazilian Bear † | Arctodus braziliensis |
Buenos Aires Bear † | Arctodus bonariensis |
Giant Short-Faced Bear † | Arctodus simus |
Pampas Bear † | Arctodus pamparus |
Short-Faced Bear † | Arctodus pristinus |
Genus: Arctotherium † | |
Brazilian Short-Faced Bear † | Arctotherium brasilense |
Argentine Short-Faced Bear † | Arctotherium latidens |
Arctotherium enectum † | Arctotherium (Pararctotherium) enectum |
Arctotherium brasiliensis † | Arctotherium (Pararctotherium) brasiliensis |
Arctotherium pamparum † | Arctotherium (Pararctotherium) pamparum |
Genus: Tremarctos | 2.5 mya. |
Spectacled Bear | Tremarctos ornatus |
Florida Cave Bear † | Tremarctos floridanus |
Subfamily: Ursinae | |
Genus: Ursus | 4 – 5 mya. |
Auvergne Bear † | Ursus minimus |
Ursus minimus minimus † | Ursus minimus minimus (subspecies) |
Ursus minimus boeckhi † | Ursus minimus boeckhi (subspecies) |
Ursus abstrusus † | Ursus abstrusus |
Etruscan Bear † | Ursus etruscus |
Ursus etruscus etruscus † | Ursus etruscus etruscus (subspecies) |
Ursus etruscus ruscinensis † | Ursus etruscus ruscinensis (subspecies) |
Ursus etruscus arvernensis † | Ursus etruscus arvernensis (subspecies) |
European Cave Bear † | Ursus spelaeus (300,000 years ago) |
Brown Bear | Ursus arctos |
Alaskan Grizzly Bear | Ursus arctos alascensis (subspecies) |
Eurasian Brown Bear | Ursus arctos arctos (subspecies) |
Kamchatka Brown Bear | Ursus arctos beringianus (subspecies) |
California Golden Bear | Ursus arctos californicus (subspecies) |
Siberian Brown Bear | Ursus arctos collaris (subspecies) |
Atlas Bear † | Ursus arctos crowtheri (subspecies) |
Alaskan Brown Bear † | Ursus arctos dalli (subspecies) |
Peninsula Giant Bear | Ursus arctos gyas (subspecies) |
Grizzly Bear | Ursus arctos horribilis (subspecies) |
Himalayan Brown Bear | Ursus arctos isabellinus (subspecies) |
Amur Brown Bear † | Ursus arctos lasiotus (subspecies) |
Kodiak Bear | Ursus arctos middendorffi (subspecies) |
Mexican Grizzly Bear | Ursus arctos nelsoni (subspecies) (invalid) |
Tibetan Blue Bear | Ursus arctos pruinosus (subspecies) |
Sitka Islands Bear | Ursus arctos sitkensis (subspecies) |
Ursus arctos stikeensis | Ursus arctos stikeensis (subspecies) |
Syrian Brown Bear | Ursus arctos syriacus (subspecies) |
Polar Bear | Ursus maritimus |
Early Polar Bear or Tyrant Sea Bear † | Ursus maritimus tyrannus (subspecies) |
Modern Polar Bear | Ursus maritimus maritimus (subspecies) |
American Black Bear | Ursus americanus |
Olympic Black Bear | Ursus americanus altifrontalis (subspecies) |
New Mexico Black Bear | Ursus americanus amblyceps (subspecies) |
Minnesota Black Bear | Ursus americanus americanus (subspecies) |
California Black Bear | Ursus americanus californiensis (subspecies) |
Queen Charlotte Black Bear | Ursus americanus carlottae (subspecies) |
Cinnamon Bear | Ursus americanus cinnamomum (subspecies) |
Glacier Bear | Ursus americanus emmonsii (subspecies) |
East Mexican Black Bear | Ursus americanus eremicus (subspecies) |
Florida Black Bear | Ursus americanus floridanus (subspecies) |
New Foundland Bear | Ursus americanus hamiltoni (subspecies) |
Kermode Bear | Ursus americanus kermodei (subspecies) |
Louisiana Black Bear | Ursus americanus luteolus (subspecies) |
West Mexico Black Bear | Ursus americanus machetes (subspecies) |
Kenai Black Bear | Ursus americanus perniger (subspecies) |
Dall Black Bear | Ursus americanus pugnax (subspecies) |
Vancouver Black Bear | Ursus americanus vancouveri (subspecies) |
Asiatic Black Bear | Ursus thibetanus |
Formosan Black Bear | Ursus thibetanus formosanus (subspecies) |
Baluchistan Black Bear | Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus (subspecies) |
Japanese Black Bear | Ursus thibetanus japonicus (subspecies) |
Himalayan Black Bear | Ursus thibetanus laniger (subspecies) |
Ursus thibetanus mupinensis | Ursus thibetanus mupinensis (subspecies) |
Ursus thibetanus thibetanus | Ursus thibetanus thibetanus (subspecies) |
Manchurian Black Bear | Ursus thibetanus ussuricus (subspecies) |
Genus: Helarctos | |
Sun Bear | Helarctos malayanus |
Borneo Sun Bear | Helarctos malayanus euryspilus (subspecies) |
Genus: Melursus | |
Sloth Bear | Melursus urinus |
Sri Lankan Sloth Bear | Melursus urinus inoratus (subspecies) |
† – extinct |
Resources:
- Classification of Black Bears – https://bear.org/classification-of-black-bears/
- Ursidae bears – https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ursidae/classification/
- Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) Taxonomy – http://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/brownbear/taxonomy
- Polar Bear Classification Sheet – https://seaworld.org/animals/all-about/polar-bear/classification/