Archaeologists stunned by ‘terrifying predators’ humans in North America would have faced

There are two recognised species of the short-faced bear: the lesser short-faced bear (Arctodus pristinus) and the giant short-faced bear (Arctodus simus).

The latter, it is believed, is one of the largest-known terrestrial mammalian carnivores that has ever existed.

This beast would have been the least of the Solutreans’ worries, however, as giant ground sloths were also prevalent, roaming the Great Plains and forests of the Americas.

Known as Megalonyx jeffersonii, it was the largest of the ground sloths in the Megalonychidae family and could reach the size of an ox when fully grown, growing to around three metres in length and weighing up to 1,000kilograms.

It evolved in South America around 35 million years ago and eventually pushed its way towards North America eight million years ago, adopting the great rivers and lakes as its natural habitat.

Both the short-faced bear and giant ground sloth lived at the same time, through the Pleistocene period.

It was during this time that the world endured something that is known as the Great Ice Age, which saw as much as 30 percent of the Earth’s surface enveloped by glaciers.

Parts of the world’s northern oceans were completely frozen over and left an environment in which only the hardiest of animals could survive, including the early humans who researchers have long believed hunted the megafauna into oblivion.

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1613476/archaeology-news-stunned-ancient-predators-north-america-spt