Climate Change Linked to Genetic Changes in Greenland Polar Bears

Study finds rapid genetic changes in southeastern Greenland polar bears linked to warming.
Divergence from northeastern bears occurred roughly 200 years ago.
Alice Godden's team links genome shifts to warming and plant-based diets.
Researchers reanalyzed 17 polar bear blood samples from the University of Washington.
Only 26,000 polar bears remain, with two-thirds projected to be lost by 2050.
Genome changes are described as a 'desperate survival mechanism'.

Conservation | Climate Change | Biology

United States | Greenland

Alice Godden

1 month ago