Genetic Relationships of Extant Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) and Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus)

Genetic relationships of extant brown bears (Ursus arctos) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus).

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) are closely related species for which extensive mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenetic comparisons have been made. We used previously published genotype data for 8 microsatellite DNA loci from 930 brown bears in 19 populations and 473 polar bears in 16 populations to compare the population genetic relationships of extant populations o...

Management of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) in Europe

Treatment of hypoxemia during anesthesia of brown bears (Ursus arctos).

This study assessed whether arterial oxygenation could be increased by treatment with intranasal oxygen supplementation in brown bears (Ursus arctos) with hypoxemia during anesthesia with medetomidine-zolazepam-tiletamine. Arterial blood samples were collected anaerobically from the femoral artery before and during oxygen supplementation. An oxygen flow rate of 2-5 L/min administered intranasal...

Observation of Adoption in Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus)

We observed a case of adoption of a single four-month-old polar bear cub (Ursus maritimus) into an existing litter of two cubs on Hopen Island, Svalbard. We believe the high density of maternity dens in the study area may increase the likelihood of natural adoption. Speculation about theoretical implications of adoption is of scientific interest. However, we believe that the probability of adop...

Estimate of genetic variations in Hokkaido brown bears (Ursus arctos yesoensis) by DNA fingerprinting.

Genetic variations within and between local populations of Hokkaido brown bears, Ursus arctos yesoensis, were quantified by means of DNA fingerprinting using a minisatellite DNA probe. The estimates of the average heterozygosity (gene diversity) H were 0.302 and 0.241 for the populations on the southwestern part of the Oshima peninsula and the Shiretoko peninsula, respectively. These values sug...