Figure 5. Head and Jaw (top: grizzly bear, bottom: polar bear)
The polar bear has a longer and more slender skull than the grizzly. The grizzly has a wider skull with an elevated forehead. The polar bear’s eyes are bigger than the grizzly’s. The differences are due to the different environments in which the two kinds of bears live. For example, the polar bear’s more slender skull makes it better equipped to stick its head into the breathing holes in the ice created by seals, their main prey.