#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have presented a hypothesis that polar bears adapted to harsh Arctic conditions about 70 thousand years ago, the BMC Genomics portal reports, writes Lenta.ru.
It is specified that during the scientific analysis, the genetic material of 119 modern polar bears, 135 brown bears, and two fossil polar bear individuals was studied.
Scientists have discovered differences in some sections of ancient bears’ DNA, which in modern polar bears are responsible for the cardiovascular system functioning and allow them to safely digest very fatty foods.
These specific genes are absent in brown bears. Having determined the age of the fossil remains, the researchers were able to establish the time of the genetic mutation – approximately 70 thousand years ago, which gave grounds for the assumption that it was then that polar bears were able to adapt to life in the Arctic.
Earlier, This Is Taimyr reported that the Russian Geographical Society opened a permanent laboratory for studying the polar bear.
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Text: Polina Bardik, Photo: Denis Kozhevnikov
