posted
I heard about this from a newspaper. A hunter shot a one of a kind polar bear-grizzly hybrid. They have bred before in zoos, but this is the first ever case of it happening in the wild. And he shot it. Now its a trophy. Best link I could findPosts: 1287 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
That's really interesting, but I can't help but be a little angry that this guy killed such a cool bear. I can understand the mix-up, but still, it makes me sad.
Posts: 1789 | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:"The probability of a grizzly and a polar bear actually mating is actually pretty low," he said. "Partly because polar bears mate on the sea ice and grizzly bears mate on the land."
That makes me laugh. Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I don't understand. From your second link, "In 2006, the occurrence of this hybrid in nature was confirmed by testing the DNA of a strange-looking bear that had been shot by an American sport hunter.[1]"
Why wouldn't you think that testing the DNA of this particular animal might also confirm (or disconfirm) that it is a hybrid?
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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posted
they are both bears right? So maybe after all the ice melts all the polar bears can turn to grizzly bears. I heard they are all drowning because of global warming.
Posts: 26 | Registered: Jan 2007
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quote:Originally posted by King of Men: Well, fine, but is that really very interesting?
Whether or not this mating has actually happened (and moreover, successfully) in the wild? I would find that interesting, especially as it was believed to never have occurred before.
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Edited to add: The OP linked to an article which was all about why this would be unusual and interesting.
quote:Ian Sterling, a research scientist who has been studying polar bears in the Beaufort Sea region for more than 30 years, says if the reports are true, the bear is unlike anything he's ever seen.
... "The probability of a grizzly and a polar bear actually mating is actually pretty low," he said. "Partly because polar bears mate on the sea ice and grizzly bears mate on the land."
And the DNA would confirm or deny this.
I can see someone not being interested in this themselves, but ... am I talking at cross-purposes with everyone? Something doesn't make sense.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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I don't understand. From your second link, "In 2006, the occurrence of this hybrid in nature was confirmed by testing the DNA of a strange-looking bear that had been shot by an American sport hunter.[1]"
Why wouldn't you think that testing the DNA of this particular animal might also confirm (or disconfirm) that it is a hybrid?
Ahhhh ... I think I see, now. So the article linked in the OP was from April 2006, and the DNA did show that this hybrid had occurred in the wild. So there is no new DNA to test, as we already have the DNA from this bear to confirm it.
posted
I must say that I wouldn't have found it very interesting even if it was the first wild mating reported. So closely related animals can breed to form a hybrid; we now have the first confirmed instance in the wild; what of it? Animals do weird stuff all the time.
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by King of Men: I must say that I wouldn't have found it very interesting even if it was the first wild mating reported.
Just for clarification: it is the first. This is the account referenced in the Wikipedia article.
quote:So closely related animals can breed to form a hybrid; we now have the first confirmed instance in the wild; what of it? Animals do weird stuff all the time.
Ah. I find weird stuff interesting; you do not.
We shall have to find a way to co-exist peacefully.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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