The history and modern condition of the brown bear (Ursus arctos L., 1758) of the West Siberian plain

Abstract

Ursus arctos is a large carnivore and a common species for Western Siberia. The earliest traces of it date back to the Middle Pleistocene. During the Holocene, its population grew and its range significantly extended northwards. The modern West Siberian habitat lies between 55° and 67°N, and its dynamics are being affected by human activity and climate change. The beginning of the twenty-first century has been marked by the growth of the population of the brown bear and its occurrence in unusual habitats. Earlier studies of the population genetic structure prove the existence of a Pleistocene refugium on this territory. The body size of the West Siberian brown bear is the largest for U. arctos subscpecies within its range.