27 July 2012
http://e360.yale.edu/digest/unusual_number_of_grizzly_and__hybrid_bears_spotted_in_high_arctic/3567/
Summary
This article is a response to the increasing number of grizzly/polar hybrid bears in the Arctic. As evidence shows that polar bears evolved from brown bears (of which grizzly bears are a member of) scientists believe that this increase of hybrids is a response to numerous challenges to the polar bear species. Some speculate that the increase in hybridization will result in a new type of Artic bear, one which retains the ability to thrive in the Artic while having the ability eat more food and live on the land instead of the melting ice. The new hybrid may be nature’s solution to the decreasing polar bear population. However, the hybrids are only occurring because groups of grizzly bears are stranded in the Artic due to melting ice pathways and are forced to mate with polar bears. Because the bulk of each species lives outside the hybrid breeding zone, many say that it is unlikely that such a new species will occur. But evolution is random enough that this possibility may not be false.
Relevance
Information
URL:http://e360.yale.edu/digest/unusual_number_of_grizzly_and__hybrid_bears_spotted_in_high_arctic/3567/
Publisher- Yale
Author- Ed Struzik
Date of Publication- July 27, 2012
http://e360.yale.edu/digest/unusual_number_of_grizzly_and__hybrid_bears_spotted_in_high_arctic/3567/
Summary
This article is a response to the increasing number of grizzly/polar hybrid bears in the Arctic. As evidence shows that polar bears evolved from brown bears (of which grizzly bears are a member of) scientists believe that this increase of hybrids is a response to numerous challenges to the polar bear species. Some speculate that the increase in hybridization will result in a new type of Artic bear, one which retains the ability to thrive in the Artic while having the ability eat more food and live on the land instead of the melting ice. The new hybrid may be nature’s solution to the decreasing polar bear population. However, the hybrids are only occurring because groups of grizzly bears are stranded in the Artic due to melting ice pathways and are forced to mate with polar bears. Because the bulk of each species lives outside the hybrid breeding zone, many say that it is unlikely that such a new species will occur. But evolution is random enough that this possibility may not be false.
Relevance
In
class, we are learning of the different ways that species can separate into new
ones. One of the ways mentioned was that a small portion of a species can be
stranded in a remote area, and evolve separately. This article shows that
grizzly bear populations stranded in the Artic are becoming different from the
mainland in their increased ability to survive in the Artic and mate with local
polar bears. Natural selection is also demonstrated. Polar bears now are facing
extinction as their habitat melts and their food contains more and more toxins.
Polar bears with some grizzly genes may be the only ones to survive.
Information
URL:http://e360.yale.edu/digest/unusual_number_of_grizzly_and__hybrid_bears_spotted_in_high_arctic/3567/
Publisher- Yale
Author- Ed Struzik
Date of Publication- July 27, 2012
Are the hybrids fertile? If Grizzly Bears and Polar Bears were technically the same species, that would be surprising.
ReplyDeleteGrizzly/Polar bear hybrids are fertile, and mating between them has been done in captivity. However, the discovery of wild grizzly/polar hybrids is fairly recent, and I couldn't find reliable data that wild hybrids do have kids.
ReplyDeleteDo these grizzly/polar bear hybrids have a name? For example, a cross between a horse and a donkey is a mule, not a horse/donkey.
ReplyDeleteprizzly bear, pizzly bear, grolar bear, etc. Most people just say grizzly/polar hybrid, or hybrid bear.
DeleteIF polar bears die then do prizzly bears die as well since they come from them?
ReplyDeleteNot exactly sure what you mean... but even though polar bears are dying out, prizzly bears can live in places (solid ground, not ice) where the melting ice won't affect them as much... and they can eat forest foods that polar bears can't.
ReplyDelete