Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 09/23/2009 - 08:04
Forums
Polar Bear Response to Sea Ice Loss

How did polar bears migrate to the Arctic regions?

Wed, 09/30/2009 - 16:29

Cristina Galvan

This is a great question! Polar bears closest relative is the brown bear. They have been found in Alaska and along the pacific northwest coast of North America. Scientist have used DNA data to determine that polar bears are most closely related to brown bears from southern Alaska rather than the ones from Northern Alaska. However, they have a few key differences that allow them to be successful in the Arctic. For example, their hips are different to allow their back legs to better at swimming than running. Also, their claws are shorter than brown bears - shorter claws are better for grabbing seals and walking on ice.
Hope that helps! - Ms Galvan