Climate change is forcing polar bears to extinction, but a warming world has also created a new animal that will continue the species’ genes – ‘pizzly bears’.
Paleontologist Larisa DeSantis told DailyMail.com that polar bears are retreating inland to find food as sea ice melts and they mate with gray bears traveling to Alaska.
“This new species of bear is more resistant to climate change and is better suited to warmer temperatures,” said DeSantis.
She blames the disappearance of polar bears on the specialized feeding pattern, but due to a decline in sea ice, the animals are unable to hunt seals and may find it difficult to adapt to the warming North Pole .
“It does not look good for polar bears,” DeSantis explained.
‘I studied saber-toothed cats. Fossil records show that they also had specialized diets and when the food supply disappeared, so did they. ‘
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Paleontologist Larisa DeSantis told DailyMail.com that polar bears are retreating inland to find food as sea ice melts, and that they are accompanied by gray bears moving to Alaska – and the offspring are known as a ‘pizzly’ bear ‘(photo)
DeSantis, along with former undergraduate student Ansley Petherick, conducted a recent study to determine if and how the diet of polar bears differs in a warming world.
They analyzed the remains of 20 polar bear samples – 10 jawbones and 10 skulls discovered during archaeological excavations.
Some of the remains date back 1000 years from the medieval warm-up period, giving a glimpse into the ancient polar bear.
The team was looking to see if any of the teeth showed patterns of hard food being eaten, but no evidence was found to suggest it.
Polar bears have a specialized feeding pattern, but with a decline in sea ice, the animals are unable to hunt seals and may find it difficult to adapt to the warming North Pole.
Samples of about 1,000 years old could not be distinguished from modern-day polar bears, but found that some people today consume harder foods to which they are not well adapted.
“Polar bears are so specialized in hunting seals that it can be more difficult to adapt them to the warming Arctic region,” said DeSantis, who specializes in dental micro-wear among carnivores.
The shift to eating hard food in a handful of bears in the 21st century is also worrying. Polar bears may reach a tipping point and may now be forced to consume less preferred foods. ‘
DeSantis and her team also compared the mouths of polar bears to those of the grizzly bear, which showed the ability to adapt during warming periods.
“The polar bear and the gray bear shared a common ancestor 500,000 to 600,000 years ago, but then they split up,” she said.
Molar of a polar bear is smaller than a grizzly bear, but their dogs are larger. This is because they actually eat jello all day, basically fuller. But to compensate, polar bears have elongated skulls that are well adapted to hunt seals
“A polar bear’s cold is smaller than a squirrel’s, but their dogs are bigger.”
This is because they actually eat jello all day, basically fuller. ‘
“But to compensate, polar bears have elongated skulls that are well adapted to hunt seals.”
However, it can prevent these elongated skulls from switching to a new diet, as this makes it difficult for bears to eat harder foods.
DeSantis, along with former undergraduate student Ansley Petherick, conducted a recent study to determine if and how the diet of polar bears differs in a warming world. They analyzed the remains of 20 polar bear specimens – 10 lower caps and 10 skulls discovered during archaeological excavations.
Samples of about 1,000 years old could not be distinguished from modern-day polar bears, but they found that some today consume harder foods that they have not adapted well.
Sea ice is crucial to the survival of polar bears, as they used the structure to hunt seals that emerge from the water for air.
Unlike polar bears, grizzly bears are well adapted to eat hard foods such as plant tubers or to remove carcasses when resources are limited.
The changing terrain brought about by the warming climate also means that gray bears can venture further north and compete with polar bears for whatever food is available.
However, the shift of grizzly bears northward could carry the polar bear gene into what is known as a pizza bear.
These rare hybrid creatures were first seen in the wild in 2006 and have been seen as far south as Idaho.
These bears have a mostly white coat, with a brownish tint and a nose that is a cross between a polar bear and a creeper.