In warm periods, polar and brown bears interbreed
An analysis of the newly-sequenced genome of the polar bear suggests they may have interbred with brown bears since becoming a distinct species four to five million years ago.
“Maybe we’re seeing a hint that in really warm times, polar bears changed their lifestyle and came into contact, and indeed interbred, with brown bears,” says Stephan Schuster, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State.
Full story at Futurity.
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