Ursus americanus carlottae
| Haida Gwaii black bear | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Ursidae |
| Genus: | Ursus |
| Species: | U. americanus |
| Subspecies: | U. a. carlottae |
| Trinomial name | |
| Ursus americanus carlottae Osgood, 1901 | |
The Haida Gwaii black bear (Ursus americanus carlottae) is a morphologically distinct subspecies of the American black bear. The most significant morphological differences are its large size, massive cranium, and large molars. This subspecies is endemic to the Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands)[1] and is considered a "keystone species" because of the bears transportation of salmon remains into surrounding forests of Haida Gwaii.
References
- ↑ S. A. Byun; B. F. Koop; T. E. Reimchen (October 1997). "North American Black Bear mtDNA Phylogeography: Implications for Morphology and the Haida Gwaii Glacial Refugium Controversy". Evolution (Society for the Study of Evolution) 51 (5): 1647–1653. doi:10.2307/2411216. JSTOR 2411216.
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