The House of Science is like a collection of stories. Beautiful stories that tell neighborhoods in all their freshness. But also in all its complexities. Arch to marvel at the treasures of the world. In this new episode, let’s get to know a mythical animal: the brown bear.
Bubba. That is of course the name of this adorable little cartoon bear. Giving and innocence. But it’s also the teddy bear that watched my childhood nights. Like a guardian angel who shared my fears like my bed. And here I discover today that the reaction seems much older. Paleolithic men already shared their fears with Plantegrad… especially their caves. In the Chauvet Cave, in the Ardèche, researchers found skulls Of the bears arranged in a semicircle. Even the oldest statue found so far is a tribute to a bear. It was found in the cave of Montespan in Haute-Garonne.
Impressed and even reverent at times, thebrown bear Thus, for our European ancestors, he was the first true king of animals. Until the church takes it flu, precisely because of the infatuation he seemed to have on men. To drive the bear out of his base, she did not hesitate to accuse him of not one or two mortal sins. But okay than five! Anger, gluttony, laziness, envy … and even lust. Because legend said at that time that male bears were attracted by young shepherds and that from their sinful union were born wonderful warriors. The kings of Denmark and Norway are said to be her descendants. You will understand that the Church was especially afraid of brute force from the bear.
His brute strength? Doesn’t the expression just say: “strong as a bear”? Then maybe. But anyway, strength is not withoutIntelligenceToday, researchers assure us. Because the brown bear is able to read its environment. to adapt to it. And even to analyze it. Researchers tell, for example, the story of a mother bear who chose to leave her cubs alone while she herself went hunting. While making sure that the male bears would not dare to attack the cubs because the researchers were busy near the shelter.
In general, the brown bear has social relations. He is curious. He is able to learn. It is one of those mammals that knows how to use tools. Others do, but most are great apes.
Stone to scratch your muzzle
A bear was caught for the first time in Alaska while walking Use a tool. Than a more refined stone. Stone covered with barnacles – small crustaceans – and gathered at the bottom of the river. He used it to scratch the muzzle. so what? When itching…
Even more dangerous, if he scratches a tree or even a rock, it will not resume researchers. But here we are in a completely different behavior, according to specialists. The tree can already be considered an extension of the environment. Picking up, handling, and using a stone to relieve yourself is a bit like expanding the boundaries of your body.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this story is that the bear in question was a wild bear. This means that he has never lived in captivity. He hadn’t even been in contact with men until then. So the discovery calls into question. Brown bears appear to be well capable of complex behaviors that require advanced spatial awareness and motor skills. To clarify all this, researchers will have to look further into the question. They are only assuming at the moment that this behavior may have been made possible by a file big brain compared to his body. So, isn’t that stupid, brown bear?
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