Climate change is extinguishing polar bears, but a warming world has also created a new animal that will carry on the genes of the species – ‘pizza bears’.
Paleontologist Larisa DeSantis told DailyMail.com that polar bears move inland to find food as the sea ice melts and mate with grizzlies traveling to Alaska.
“This new type of bear is more resistant to climate change and better suited to warmer temperatures,” said DeSantis.
She blames the disappearance of polar bears on her specialized diet of mud, but with a decline in sea ice, the animals are unable to hunt seals and have difficulty adapting to a warming Arctic.
“It doesn’t look good for polar bears,” DeSantis explained.
‘I’ve studied saber-toothed cats. Fossil records show that they too had specialized diets, and when the food supply went away, so did they. ‘
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Paleontologist Larisa DeSantis told DailyMail.com that polar bears move inland to find food as the sea ice melts, and mate with grizzly bears traveling to Alaska – and the offspring are known as a ‘pizzly bear’ (pictured)
DeSantis, along with former college student Ansley Petherick, conducted a recent study to assess whether and how polar bears’ diet differed in a warming world.
They analyzed the remains of 20 polar bear samples – 10 mandibles and 10 skulls uncovered in archaeological digs.
Some of the remains date from 1,000 years ago to the medieval warming period and gave a glimpse into the ancient polar bear.
The team was looking to see if any of the teeth showed patterns of hard foods being eaten, but no evidence was found to suggest this.
Polar bears have a specialized diet of mud, but with a decline in sea ice, the animals are unable to hunt seals and have difficulty adapting to a warming Arctic.
Specimens that were about 1,000 years old were indistinguishable from modern polar bears, but have found that some today consume harder foods that they are not well adapted to.
“Polar bears are so specialized in hunting seals that they may have a harder time adapting to the warming Arctic,” says DeSantis, who specializes in dental microwear in carnivores.
The shift to eating hard foods in a handful of bears in the 21st century is also worrying. Polar bears may be reaching a tipping point and may now be forced to consume less preferred foods. ‘
DeSantis and her team also compared the mouths of polar bears with those of the grizzly bear, which has shown that they can adapt during periods of warming.
“The polar bear and grizzly bear shared a common ancestor 500,000 to 600,000 years ago, but then they diverged,” she said.
A polar bear’s molars are smaller than a grizzly bear, but their canines are larger. This is because they essentially eat jello all day long, which is basically blubber. But to compensate, polar bears have elongated skulls that are well adapted to affectively hunt seals
“Polar bear molars are smaller than grizzly bear, but their fangs are bigger.”
This is because they basically eat jello all day, basically blubber. ‘
“But to compensate, polar bears have elongated skulls that are well adapted to affectively hunt seals.”
However, these elongated skulls can keep them from switching to a new diet, as they make it difficult for the bears to eat harder foods.
DeSantis, along with former college student Ansley Petherick, conducted a recent study to assess whether and how polar bears’ diet differed in a warming world. They analyzed the remains of 20 polar bear samples – 10 mandibles and 10 skulls uncovered in archaeological digs
Specimens approximately 1,000 years old were indistinguishable from modern polar bears, but have found that some today consume harder foods that they are not well adapted to
Sea ice is crucial to the survival of polar bears, as they used the structure to hunt seals that emerge from the water to air.
Unlike polar bears, grizzlies are well adapted to eat hard foods, such as plant tubers, or to clean up carcasses when resources are limited.
The changing terrain caused by the warming climate also means that grizzlies can move further north and compete with polar bears for all the food available.
However, the movement of grizzly bears northward could carry on the polar bear gene in 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 as southern Idaho.
These bears have a predominantly white coat, with a brownish hue, and a nose that is a cross between a polar bear and a grizzle.