**Classification and Evolution**
– Meriwether Lewis and William Clark first described the grizzly bear as grisley, with the modern spelling supposing the former meaning.
– Naturalist George Ord classified the grizzly bear as U. horribilis in 1815.
– The grizzly bear is a subspecies of the brown bear, with R.L. Rausch finding that North America has one species of grizzly.
– Brown bears originated in Eurasia and migrated to North America between 177,000 BP and 111,000 BP.
– Genetic studies suggest two closely related lineages repopulated Alaska and northern Canada after the Last Glacial Maximum.
**Appearance and Subspecies**
– Grizzly bears are among the largest brown bear subspecies, with the largest populations being coastal grizzlies in the Alaskan peninsula.
– Grizzlies have distinctive characteristics like longer claws adapted for digging, brown fur with darker legs, and a pronounced muscular hump on their shoulders.
– Different subspecies of grizzly bears have been provisionally considered separate, with coastal grizzlies being larger and darker.
– Genetic studies suggest the ABC Islands bear has genetic introgression from the polar bear.
**Range and Populations**
– Grizzly bears ranged from Alaska down to Mexico and as far east as the western shores of Hudson Bay.
– Currently, they are found in Alaska, much of western Canada, and portions of the northwestern United States.
– Approximately 25,000 grizzly bears in Canada occupy various territories, with Alaska having the highest population of 30,000 individuals.
– Lower 48 United States house around 1,000 grizzly bears in specific regions, with the North Cascades ecosystem in Washington having fewer than 20 grizzly bears.
**Biology and Behavior**
– Grizzly bears hibernate for five to seven months each year, with females giving birth during hibernation.
– They are solitary except around food sources during salmon spawn and have low reproductive rates due to ecological factors.
– Grizzlies are omnivores, with coastal bears having richer diets and inland bears feeding on whitebark pine nuts, tubers, and rodents.
– They prey on large mammals, fish, carrion, berries, grass, and insects, with grizzlies in Yellowstone known to eat Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
**Interaction with Humans and Cultural Significance**
– Native American tribes living near brown bears often hold a mixture of awe and fear towards them, with bears holding cultural importance in Native American folklore and traditions.
– Grizzlies are more aggressive than black bears when defending themselves, with most attacks resulting from close-range surprises or mothers protecting offspring.
– Increased human-bear interaction leads to problem bears, with aversive conditioning methods attempting to deter bears from humans.
– Cultural legends and stories surrounding grizzly bears include the Sleeping Bear Dunes legend and the Ojibwe legend of cubs becoming Manitou islands.
