Daily Dog Discoveries

A Fascinating Relationship Between Dog and Bears

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We know of dog breeds with a wolfish appearance or dogs with or a foxy expression, but there are also some dog breeds that look like bears, with some even looking like the canine impersonation of teddy bears! Of course, these breeds are not the outcome of some love affair going on between Rover and Winnie the Pooh, but we sure can’t ignore their bear-like resemblance.  Whether it’s a dog’s long snout or fuzzy coat, turns out there may actual be a scientific reason as to why some dogs may look a bit like bears. Read on to discover the relationship dogs and bears are known to share.

Meat Eaters At Heartdog meat eating

At a first thought, we assume dogs and bears have very little in common. Indeed, dogs belong to the canidae family, whereas bears belong to the ursidae family. This means that they are different species, they have many contrasting characteristics and they cannot breed.

However, at a closer glance we discover that they are both under the order of carnivora, which includes lions, tigers, bears, cats and dogs. Carnivorans are basically animals that derive nourishment from a diet that’s mainly or exclusively made of meat regardless whether it’s obtained through predation or scavenging. However, not necessarily all members of the order Carnivora adhere to a strict meat diet (obligate carnivers), some eat fruits too and are known as facultative carnivores.

Since most of these animals are meat eaters by preference, Mother Nature has made sure to equip these carnivorans with excellent senses,  good running abilities ( yes, grizzly bears can outrun a human!) and sharp meat-eating teeth.

 

caniformiaSharing a Suborder

At some point, carnivores split into two distinct suborders: cat-like animals and dog-like animals. The carnivores that split into dog-like forms were categorized under the suborder group Caniformia.

The carnivores that split into cat-like forms instead fell under the  suborder group Feliformia.

Bears (with their long snouts and non-retractable claws) therefore ended up being grouped within the caniformia suborder along with dogs. Members of this group can be seen in the picture on the left.

 

 

A Step Back in Time

Prior to splitting into dog and cat forms, carnivorans derived from members of the Miacidae family (miacids). Miacids were small carnivores, equipped with little bodies and long tails. Some lived on trees (arboreal), while others lived on the ground. Their teeth included carnassial teeth, but their teeth were overall less developed than those seen in modern carnivorans. Miacids are therefore the ancestors of cats, dogs and bears. In particular, according to National Geographic, a small, tree-dwelling mammal going by the name of Dormaalocyon latouri  has been found to is the ancestor of lions, tigers, bears and dogs.

Divergence from miacids into carnivores is estimated to have occurred  in the middle-Eocene around 42 million years ago.

 

As seen, dogs and bears share a little bit of history when it comes to their evolution. In case you’re wondering though, no, bears and dogs cannot mate. Dogs have 78 chromosomes whereas bears have 74.

Just for Fun: Six Fascinating Dog Breeds That Look Like Bears

Let’s face it: there are certain dog breeds that look more like bears than others. This though doesn’t mean that they are more closely related to bears than other dogs. It just means that they have been selectively bred to look that why.  As much as these dogs look like cute teddy bears just asking for a hug, please refrain from doing so. Several dogs dislike being hugged, and hugging an unknown dog can be risky business! Following is a list of dog breeds that show a close resemblance with dogs.

The Chow Chow

The Akita

An American Akita,byJonnydrh -

Maremma Sheepdog

maremma sheepdog

Tibetan Mastiff

tibetan mastiff

The Great Pyrenees 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyrenees#/media/File:Great_Pyrenees_Tavish.jpg"A Great Pyrenees, by Michael L. Baird, CC BY 2.0

Newfoundland

newfoundland

References:

Lindblad-Toh K, Wade CM, Mikkelsen TS, et al. (December 2005). “Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog”.Nature 438 (7069): 803–19.

 

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