History of Bear in Timeline

Bears are carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Ursidae, classified as caniforms. Eight species exist, inhabiting diverse habitats across the Northern Hemisphere and parts of the Southern Hemisphere, specifically North America, South America, and Eurasia. They are characterized by large, stocky bodies, long snouts, small, rounded ears, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and short tails.

1902: Theodore Roosevelt and the teddy bear

In 1902, American statesman Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot an American black bear tied to a tree, leading to the creation of teddy bears, stuffed toys in the form of bears.

1918: Illustration of "The Three Bears" by Arthur Rackham

In 1918, Arthur Rackham illustrated "The Three Bears", a retold version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears".

Greeting Cards - The Three Bears Vintage Fairy Tale Illustration Arthur Rackham - 6 Pack - Ephemera

Check it on Amazon

1944: Introduction of Smokey Bear

In 1944, Smokey Bear was introduced as a part of American culture with the message "Only you can prevent forest fires".

1982: Introduction of The Care Bears

In 1982, The Care Bears began as greeting cards and were later featured as toys, on clothing, and in film.

1992: Cladogram of the subfamilies of bears

In 1992, McLellan and Reiner created a cladogram of the subfamilies of bears, contributing to one phylogenetic hypothesis classifying all bear species into seven subfamilies.

1997: Alternative phylogenetic hypothesis

In 1997, McKenna et al. classified all the bear species into the superfamily Ursoidea, with Hemicyoninae and Agriotheriinae being classified in the family "Hemicyonidae".

2005: Molecular phylogenetic analysis of six genes

In 2005, a molecular phylogenetic analysis of six genes by Flynn was conducted to show the relationship of the bear family with other carnivorans.

2006: UNESCO World Heritage Site designation

In 2006, the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, home to around 30% of the wild panda population, gained a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

2014: Cladogram of the subfamilies of bears

In 2014, Qiu et al. contributed to a cladogram of the subfamilies of bears, furthering a phylogenetic hypothesis classifying all bear species into seven subfamilies.

2018: Multigene analysis of musteloids

In 2018, the musteloids were updated following the multigene analysis of Law et al. to show the relationship of the bear family with other carnivorans.