A​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ new study published recently has found that Greenland’s polar bears are showing genetic shifts as Arctic temperatures rise, providing one of the very few kinds of biological evidence of how genetically wild mammals might be changing in nature with a rapidly warming environment.

The team of researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) found that the polar bears in southeastern Greenland have very different gene expressions when compared to those in the colder northeast. These differences include changes related to metabolism, heat stress, and fat processing, which could indicate that the animals are preparing for future Arctic conditions.

DNA Changes Tied to Local Climate Pressures

Scientists processed blood samples from 17 adult polar bears – 12 from northeastern Greenland and five from the southeast – with RNA sequencing to locate gene activity and the operation of “jumping genes,” small mobile genetic elements that can affect the way other genes work depending on environmental changes.

In the less cold and poorly iced southeastern region of Greenland, the researchers found that there was much more of the genome related to heat response, ageing, and dietary metabolism turned on as compared to the northeast, which was cooler and more stable.

The DNA areas related to fat processing – very important when high‑fat seal prey is limited – had very different results between the two groups, which implies that the southeastern bears might be in the process of adapting to their changed environment slowly.

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Climate Change as an Evolutionary Driver

The research team led by Dr. Alice Godden thought that the increased activity of transposons in the DNA of the bears from the southeast might be an indication of an exceptionally rapid genetic reaction to the stress of climate change, thus helping the animals to survive in conditions that may resemble those in other parts of the Arctic in the near future.

The scientists point out that these changes in behavior – if observed in other polar bear populations – could illuminate which groups have the greatest strength and which have the least, as a result of the Arctic warming at a faster pace.

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Conservation Implications and Future Work

Polar bears are on a very steep decline in numbers, with projections indicating that over two-thirds of the global population might be wiped out by 2050 if the warming trend continues, which raises serious concerns for their survival.

The researchers state that the genetic changes they revealed should be the reason for a more comprehensive monitoring work, and at the same time, a reminder of the utmost necessity to cut down emissions of greenhouse gases.

To sum it up, even though there are indications that Greenland’s polar bears are showing genetic shifts , researchers warn that genetic adaptation may not be sufficient for the survival of the species in the long run amid a drastically changing Arctic. ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌

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