Grolar bears are rare hybrid animals that share their genetic lineage with that of a polar bear and a grizzly. The two species, which wouldn’t normally interact in the past, have been due to melting Arctic ice. As more grolar bears emerge, it could be an implication for climate change.
The Grolar Bear
These fascinating hybrid animals warrant more scientific study. They share very similar traits to their parents but with a few exceptions. They are an extremely new hybrid species, with the first ever to be documented only in 2006 in the Canadian Arctic.
Overlapping Territories
As the Arctic ice melts, the territories of grizzly and polar bears start to overlap. Grizzlies will start heading northward as the climate becomes more suitable for them. When members of each population meet, they can end up mating. Grolar bears are mostly found in the western Arctic.
All Hybrids To Date
All-in-all, only eight hybrids have been recorded in the wild. They are all descendants of the same female polar but as climate change further acclimatizes the grizzlies into polar bear territory, more are expected to appear in the future.
Genetic Analysis
With such a unique hybrid species appearing seemingly out of thin air, many researchers have sought to study their DNA. Scientists successfully used a genotyping tool called an 8K SNP chip to analyze genetic samples. This is how they found out that all of the bears in the wild share a common female parent.
Climate Change
The primary driver for the interspecies breeding of the different bear species is due to climate change. Recent studies show that it’s not just the grizzlies heading north, but the polar bears heading more inland, which is peculiar behavior as they normally stick to ice sheets off the coast.
Challenges
While the overlap of territory has implications for climate change, there are real challenges to both species if the population further dilutes their genes. Pure bred grizzlies and polar bears are perfectly adapted to their environment – the same can’t be said for grolar bears.
Not Well Adapted
Grolar bears get DNA from both species of bear. While it may seem like this would make an animal suited for both environments, what actually happens is a resulting animal that is ill-suited to both. They would not thrive in either environment their parents do.
Losing A Species
If climate change further encourages the populations of polar bears and grizzlies to mate, this could have implications for both species. Polar bears are already marked as vulnerable, and the further loss of their species through hybridization could see their population decline. If this becomes a prevalent issue, then both species could become lost due to homogenization.
A Natural Evolution
Polar bears are a newer species compared to grizzly bears, and they descended from them thousands of years ago as they adapted to their environment. This was a natural evolution of a species, but hybridization is a new phenomenon that doesn’t seem to be aiding either population.
The Future
Scientists predict that as climate change progresses, more and more populations will start to occupy the same territory. This will make examples of grolar bears more much more prevalent. Biodiversity would go down, and both species would suffer for it.
Monitoring
As concern over the future of polar bears becomes more of a reality, scientists are committed to monitoring the population and have found techniques that allow them to accurately identify hybrids quickly. This will help in tracking the progress of the grolar bear.
The Balance Of Ecosystems Could Be In Danger
With the grolar bear becoming a reality in only the last 19 years, it is a warning sign of the affect that climate change is having on local ecosystems and wildlife. Depite being extermely rare currently, there is potential for hybridization to increase, which could throw off the balance of already fragile ecosystems in the Arctic.
