DNA Tests Confirm Bear Was a Hybrid

Associated Press via Earthlink News ^ | Staff

[VadeRetro]

IQALUIT, Nunavut - Northern hunters, scientists and people with vivid imaginations have discussed the possibility for years.

But Roger Kuptana, an Inuvialuit guide from Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, was the first to suspect it had actually happened when he proposed that a strange-looking bear shot last month by an American sports hunter might be half polar bear, half grizzly.

Territorial officials seized the creature after noticing its white fur was scattered with brown patches and that it had the long claws and humped back of a grizzly. Now a DNA test has confirmed that it is indeed a hybrid - possibly the first documented in the wild.

"We've known it's possible, but actually most of us never thought it would happen," said Ian Stirling, a polar bear biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service in Edmonton.

Polar bears and grizzlies have been successfully paired in zoos before - Stirling could not speculate why - and their offspring are fertile.

Breeding seasons for the two species overlap, though polar bear gets started slightly earlier.

[VadeRetro]

Interesting if not surprising that this degree of relatedness hides under the physical dissimilarity of grizzly and polar bears.

[VadeRetro]

Submitted for your review.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Interracial dating amongst bears?

[avg_freeper]

I imagine the grizzly probably didn't have a whole lot of say in the matter.

[VadeRetro]

North Side Story.

[small voice in the wilderness]

...even more dangerous than that...a bi-polar bear. They're crazy..

[Fighting Irish]

So...is it a Pizzley? Golarbear? Helen Thomas in a fur coat?

[VadeRetro]

Don't know what you call it, but if it doesn't like it you don't call it that.

[PJ-Comix]

ManBearPig!

[Fighting Irish]

bi-polar bear

...........priceless!

[TexasCajun]

Hybrid Polar Bears eat corn with their seal meat?

You do know how to catch a Polar Bear huh?

You dig a big hole in the ice and line the hole with peas.

When the polar bears comes to take a pea, you kick him in the icehole. :)

[Disambiguator]

Now Ruger will need to add another large-bore revolver to the "Alaskan" family, and call it the "Arctican" or something.

[bondjamesbond]

That is (was) one odd looking polar bear!

[VadeRetro]

You oughta be ashamed of yourself.

[toomanylaws]

"Territorial officials seized the creature"

Typical government action by seizing property from a private citizen who probably paid many thousands of dollars for the hunt.

[nmh]

I don't know WHY this is so startling.

My cat is part ASIAN LEOPARD and EGYPTIAN MAU.

She's gorgeous. Long body, glitter, green eyes with a blond background with black and brown spots - even on her tummy and black bottomed paws. Her tail is black and white like a raccoon. She is VERY intelligent and likes to chirp. She is a direct mix between the leopard and the domestic Egyptian Mau. She LOVES water and will join you in the shower or the bathtub - whether you want her company then or not. She's commonly known as a Bengal.

What's the big deal about this "hybrid" in bears?

Ever hear about "ligers"? They are 50% tiger and 50% lion. It happens all the time.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Was he fuzzy?

[nmh]

WOW though ... what a neat pet that would be ... if only he/she was a few generations removed. Gorgeous animal!

[massadvj]

More phony stories from the liberal media promoting interspecies mating as a vehicle toward their pro-evolution, pro-secular agenda. I know it's not possible to mate polar bears with grizzlies because the way I interpret the bible, it would be impossible. And so I wish to use the force of law to suppress stories of this nature; and teach our children the bible, only the bible, and nothing but the bible. That is all.

[Robert A. Cook, PE]

Resolves the question of "what do you get when you cross-breed a bore and a sow?"

I dunno, but Hillary will never have another child after Webb Hubble.

[VadeRetro]

Not really big news. The carnivores radiated some tens of millions of years ago on the main branches, with the divergences at the ends of those branches being pretty recent in some cases. Bears and raccoons are thus pretty related, never mind one kind of bear and another.

Your cat sounds like a real hoot to live with.

[Robert A. Cook, PE]

Ouch.

[T Minus Four]

[Mike Darancette]

Evolution in action?

[akorahil]

Ever hear about "ligers"?

A liger is like my favorite animal ever. They're bred for their magical ability...

[bondjamesbond]

North Side Story.

Boy, boy, crazy boy
Get cool, boy
Got a rocket in your pocket
Keep cooly cool boy...

[small voice in the wilderness]

VOTE
FOR
PEDRO

[ArrogantBustard]

Polar bears and grizzlies have been successfully paired in zoos before - Stirling could not speculate why - and their offspring are fertile.

Does that mean that they're not different species, but rather different "races" of the same species?

[Grendel9]

Well, with all the yakking
of late about global warming
"severely endangering the
polar bear population," how
about this new 'specie' being
the work of Mother Nature?
She always makes the right
choices whether we like them
or not.

[Hammerhead]

Im sorry, but I own many guns and love to shoot. BUT hunters who kill for SPORT, for the high of killing something just to kill, have a SERIOUS mental problem IMO.


Makes me sick.

[yoe]

So...is it a Pizzley? Golarbear? Helen Thomas in a fur coat?

LOL!

Helen Thomas? HaHaHaHaHaHHeeeee

[Churchillspirit]

Helen Thomas in a fur coat?

LOL!

Bit early in the day for references to HT.

[VadeRetro]

Yes and no. We're not going to revise the taxonomy over this, but by they probably are subspecies rather than species by the standard of cross-fertility. There's still some question whether the offspring are themselves fertile or do we have a horse-donkey-mule situation.

[ArrogantBustard]

Hmmmm ...

Are "Ligers" fertile? How about your cat?

This polar/grizzly cross is ... mules are not.

[DCPatriot]

So even deer hunters fall into this category for you?

[PatrickHenry]

This is what happens when Yankees come down from the north and mess with our women-folk.

[ArrogantBustard]

According to the article (Hah!), the polar/grizzly offspring are fertile.

[VadeRetro]

When you're a griz you're a griz 'til you die.

[nmh]

"Not really big news. The carnivores radiated some tens of millions of years ago on the main branches, with the divergences at the ends of those branches being pretty recent in some cases. Bears and raccoons are thus pretty related, never mind one kind of bear and another."

Well for one thing I don't buy into the tens of millions of years ago. Again, "ligers" are a direct mix of a lion and a tiger, by CHOICE. I suspect there are many interesting mixes out there that we have not discovered.


"Your cat sounds like a real hoot to live with."

She's a lot of fun. She definitely wears the pants. Thomas, our orange tabby KNOWS to back off when it's time to eat - she dominates that. It's funny but they work things out - who gets the high spot in the cat tree etc..

Here are some pictures of the breed:

http://www.aluren.com

In real life the rosettes are stunning. The pictures don't do them justice. I'd highly recommend them. Great pets. We do have to give her more protein - chicken, fish etc. Her dietary needs are slightly different - "little Debbie" is worth it = lots of fun! VERY energetic!

[VadeRetro]

Yep. The only real news is this happening in the wild.

[nmh]

I'd LOVE to have a liger!!!!!

Love those BIG cats!

[Drawsing]

I know it's not possible to mate polar bears with grizzlies because the way I interpret the bible, it would be impossible. And so I wish to use the force of law to suppress stories of this nature; and teach our children the bible, only the bible, and nothing but the bible. That is all.

If you search long enough you may find somebody in a remote cabin that would fit your (unspoken) profile of a narrow-minded, ignorant, unloving Bible-thumper. But take some snacks with you. I believe you will get hungry before your search is over.

[P8riot]

BEER?

How'd ja like ta see one of these?

[Pearls Before Swine]

Does that mean that they're not different species, but rather different "races" of the same species?

Yep. I think that's the definition of species--that the members can breed fertile offspring. The two bears must be different breeds... Like chihuahuas and Saint Bernards... but not like horses and donkeys... which give you sterile mule offspring, and are different species.

So, the globabl warming tragedy of the polar bear is not a species problem after all. There will still be plenty of bears to go around.

[Jack Black]

are you saying you have a pet leopard-hybrid? Or are these all cat breeds like siamese and calico that your talking about? Is't a 1/2 leopard a very dangerous animal to be taking showers with?

[Pyro7480]

[VadeRetro]

Well for one thing I don't buy into the tens of millions of years ago. Again, "ligers" are a direct mix of a lion and a tiger, by CHOICE.

There's really quite a lot of evidence for the current picture regarding the age of the Earth and the tree of life. Lions and tigers do not overlap anywhere in the wild in modern times with the shrinkage of their ranges. (A possible exception is the one tiny forest preserve in India where the last few dozen Indian lions live. It may or may not have the occasional stray tiger for all I know.)

[Pyro7480]

Ping to post #46.

[small voice in the wilderness]

only if you drop the soap

[nmh]

Hmmmm ...

Are "Ligers" fertile? How about your cat?

This polar/grizzly cross is ... mules are not.

---

When they start out with the Asian leopard and the domestic Egyptian Mau typically the resulting MALE (F1) is infertile. The females are fertile. So you take it from there. A generation or so removed from the parents and males are then typically fertile and the breed continues. Also an F1 kitten of this mix is not appropriate for a pet. It's too wild and you need an experienced breeder to ONLY continue the breed with descendent's of good temperament, looks etc.. Like anything else, you MUST deal with a reputable breeder.

As for Ligers I believe the same scenario is true on the issue of male/female infertility. There is no reason why this mix could not continue.