The study, conducted by polar scientists at the University of Washington,
“We wanted to explore this region becauseLittle was known about polar bears in southeast Greenland, but we never expected to find a new subpopulation there,” said lead author Christine Laidre. “We knew from historical records and indigenous knowledge that there were bears in the area. We just didn't know how special they were."
These polar bears have access to sea iceonly four months of the year, so they have uniquely adapted to their environment by hunting seals off the freshwater ice that has broken away from the glaciers of Greenland. This subpopulation was found to be more genetically distinct from its nearest neighbor than any of the other 19 previously identified polar bear populations. Scientists believe this is the result of their isolated environment, in which they are surrounded by large mountain peaks, the Greenland ice sheet, and dangerous open waters.
“This is the most genetically isolated populationpolar bears on the planet, says study co-author Beth Shapiro. “We know that this population has been living separately from other polar bear populations for at least several hundred years, and that their population has remained small throughout this time.”
Unlike ordinary polar bears, whichroam far across the ice sheet of the seas in search of food, these bears have always stayed much closer to "home". They tend to roam the ice inside the sheltered fjords of Greenland and occasionally swim away on ice floes before jumping off and heading home.
"In a way, these bears give usa vision of how Greenland's bears might fare in future climate scenarios,” Laidre said. "Sea ice conditions in southeast Greenland today resemble those predicted for northeast Greenland by the end of this century."
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