Bulletin of the National Speleological Society - ISSN 0146-9517
Volume 21 Part 1: 13-14 - January 1959

A publication of the National Speleological Society

Bear Bones from a Boone County Cave
Patrick H. Wells

Abstract

Native bear population of Missouri became extinct during the 1800's and the bears now in the Ozarks were introduced about 15 years ago. A fissure cave in Boone County recently excavated by William Elder, Professor of Zoology, University of Missouri, has yielded many late Quaternary bones. Among them are the skeletons of six bears. The bears were black bears but their skeletons show they were much larger than modern black bears. Teeth were strikingly oversized in keeping with the other skeletal parts that were proportionally heavy.

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