Arctotherium

Arctotherium ("bear beast") is an extinct genus of short-faced bears endemic to Central and South America from the Late Pliocene to the end of the Late Pleistocene. Arctotherium migrated from North America to South America during the Great American Interchange, following the formation of the Isthmus of Panama during the late Pliocene.

The Early Pleistocene species Arctotherium angustidens is one of the largest known bears and possibly the largest terrestrial carnivorous mammal ever, with some individuals suggested to exceed one tonne in body mass and reach 3.4 to 4.3 m (11.2 to 14.1 ft) in standing height, while later species such as A. bonariense, A. tarijense and A. wingei were smaller and comparable in size to living bears. Like living bears, species of the genus were omnivorous, with the degree of meat consumption varying between species, with Arctotherium angustidens suggested to have been highly carnivorous, while A. wingei was largely herbivorous.

The last species of the genus (A. bonariense, A. tarijense and A. wingei) went extinct around 13,000-10,000 years ago as part of the end-Pleistocene extinction event, along with most other large mammals across the Americas.