DNA Tests Confirm Bear Was a Hybrid

Associated Press via Earthlink News ^ | Staff

[VadeRetro]

IQALUIT, Nunavut - Northern hunters, scientists and people with vivid imaginations have discussed the possibility for years.

But Roger Kuptana, an Inuvialuit guide from Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, was the first to suspect it had actually happened when he proposed that a strange-looking bear shot last month by an American sports hunter might be half polar bear, half grizzly.

Territorial officials seized the creature after noticing its white fur was scattered with brown patches and that it had the long claws and humped back of a grizzly. Now a DNA test has confirmed that it is indeed a hybrid - possibly the first documented in the wild.

"We've known it's possible, but actually most of us never thought it would happen," said Ian Stirling, a polar bear biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service in Edmonton.

Polar bears and grizzlies have been successfully paired in zoos before - Stirling could not speculate why - and their offspring are fertile.

Breeding seasons for the two species overlap, though polar bear gets started slightly earlier.

[VadeRetro]

Not really big news. The carnivores radiated some tens of millions of years ago on the main branches, with the divergences at the ends of those branches being pretty recent in some cases. Bears and raccoons are thus pretty related, never mind one kind of bear and another.

Your cat sounds like a real hoot to live with.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Ouch.

[T Minus Four]

[Mike Darancette]

Evolution in action?

[akorahil]

Ever hear about "ligers"?

A liger is like my favorite animal ever. They're bred for their magical ability...

[bondjamesbond]

North Side Story.

Boy, boy, crazy boy
Get cool, boy
Got a rocket in your pocket
Keep cooly cool boy...

[small voice in the wilderness]

VOTE
FOR
PEDRO

[ArrogantBustard]

Polar bears and grizzlies have been successfully paired in zoos before - Stirling could not speculate why - and their offspring are fertile.

Does that mean that they're not different species, but rather different "races" of the same species?

[Grendel9]

Well, with all the yakking
of late about global warming
"severely endangering the
polar bear population," how
about this new 'specie' being
the work of Mother Nature?
She always makes the right
choices whether we like them
or not.

[Hammerhead]

Im sorry, but I own many guns and love to shoot. BUT hunters who kill for SPORT, for the high of killing something just to kill, have a SERIOUS mental problem IMO.


Makes me sick.

[yoe]

So...is it a Pizzley? Golarbear? Helen Thomas in a fur coat?

LOL!

Helen Thomas? HaHaHaHaHaHHeeeee

[Churchillspirit]

Helen Thomas in a fur coat?

LOL!

Bit early in the day for references to HT.

[VadeRetro]

Yes and no. We're not going to revise the taxonomy over this, but by they probably are subspecies rather than species by the standard of cross-fertility. There's still some question whether the offspring are themselves fertile or do we have a horse-donkey-mule situation.

[ArrogantBustard]

Hmmmm ...

Are "Ligers" fertile? How about your cat?

This polar/grizzly cross is ... mules are not.

[DCPatriot]

So even deer hunters fall into this category for you?

[PatrickHenry]

This is what happens when Yankees come down from the north and mess with our women-folk.

[ArrogantBustard]

According to the article (Hah!), the polar/grizzly offspring are fertile.

[VadeRetro]

When you're a griz you're a griz 'til you die.

[nmh]

"Not really big news. The carnivores radiated some tens of millions of years ago on the main branches, with the divergences at the ends of those branches being pretty recent in some cases. Bears and raccoons are thus pretty related, never mind one kind of bear and another."

Well for one thing I don't buy into the tens of millions of years ago. Again, "ligers" are a direct mix of a lion and a tiger, by CHOICE. I suspect there are many interesting mixes out there that we have not discovered.


"Your cat sounds like a real hoot to live with."

She's a lot of fun. She definitely wears the pants. Thomas, our orange tabby KNOWS to back off when it's time to eat - she dominates that. It's funny but they work things out - who gets the high spot in the cat tree etc..

Here are some pictures of the breed:

http://www.aluren.com

In real life the rosettes are stunning. The pictures don't do them justice. I'd highly recommend them. Great pets. We do have to give her more protein - chicken, fish etc. Her dietary needs are slightly different - "little Debbie" is worth it = lots of fun! VERY energetic!

[VadeRetro]

Yep. The only real news is this happening in the wild.