As grizzlies mate with polar bears, concerns about hybrids grow

As climate change brings grizzly bears into the Arctic, some are interbreeding with polar bears. Conservationists worry their hybrids could decrease genetic diversity among polar bears and be unfit for the frigid environment. While that’s a growing concern, a team of researchers says, it isn’t a significant issue yet.

In a study published in Conservation Genetics Resources, scientists developed a special chip to look for signs of hybridization in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) genes. After examining the genetics of 819 polar bears, they found no signs of hybrids with grizzlies (U. arctos horribilis) and no evidence of ancestral interbreeding between the two.

Hunters and biologists say the number of hybrid bears are on the rise in the Canadian Arctic. That’s likely to continue, the researchers found, and it raises conservation concerns for polar bears, a species of special concern under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. 

The biologists hope their work can help “the species to persist in the face of changing environmental conditions.”

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