Scientists have discovered genetic changes in polar bears that could help them adapt to rising temperatures, marking the first statistically significant link between climate change and DNA shifts in a wild mammal.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia found that polar bears in south-east Greenland show different genetic activity compared with bears in colder northern regions. The study focused on so-called “jumping genes” – mobile pieces of DNA that can alter how other genes behave. These were far more active in bears living in warmer, less icy environments.
The changes are linked to genes involved in heat stress, ageing and metabolism, suggesting the bears may be adjusting biologically to warming conditions and shifting food sources. Southern Greenland bears, for example, appear to be adapting to leaner, more plant-based diets compared with the seal-rich diets of northern populations.
Published in the journal Mobile DNA, the research suggests these rapid genetic shifts could be a survival response to melting sea ice. However, scientists warn that while the findings offer some hope, polar bears remain at serious risk, with up to two-thirds of the global population expected to disappear by 2050 without urgent action on climate change.
Researchers plan to study other polar bear populations worldwide to see if similar genetic changes are occurring, while stressing that cutting fossil fuel emissions remains critical to the species’ survival.
