Little Dougie, bears and dogs have the same ancestor about 30 million years ago called Miacids.
The evolution of bear species
Where did the bear really come from? The evolution of bears as we know them today, started around 30 million years ago. Their ancestors evolved into a family of small mammals known as the Miacids (Miacidae). The bears, small bears and also the canines developed from the Miacids. Some of the canine species resembled bears, and we refer to them as bear dogs or Amphicyonidae. The size and appearance of the bear dog varied from small and dog-like to big and bear-like. Please see below diagram which represents this ‘evolutionary tree’.
The family of real bears can ultimately be traced back to the oldest genus, the Ursavus, which was roughly the size of a sheepdog and had evolved from a canine ancestor.
Little Dougie, bears and dogs have the same ancestor about 30 million years ago called Miacids.
The evolution of bear species
Where did the bear really come from? The evolution of bears as we know them today, started around 30 million years ago. Their ancestors evolved into a family of small mammals known as the Miacids (Miacidae). The bears, small bears and also the canines developed from the Miacids. Some of the canine species resembled bears, and we refer to them as bear dogs or Amphicyonidae. The size and appearance of the bear dog varied from small and dog-like to big and bear-like. Please see below diagram which represents this ‘evolutionary tree’.
The family of real bears can ultimately be traced back to the oldest genus, the Ursavus, which was roughly the size of a sheepdog and had evolved from a canine ancestor.
https://www.bearsinmind.org/Page/The-evolution-of-bear-species
So Dougie, don’t be afraid of your teddy bears. Just real bears.