NationStates Jolt Archive

This is an interesting one. Seems nature has a way of ensuring survival of a species. Although this has been done in captivity as the article has stated. This is the first one out in nature. I wonder what other crossbreeding of animals we will see out there.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/05/11/canada.hybrid.ap/index.html

Just as Steven Colbert warned us, the bears are combining their talents to become a greater threat to humanity. Now we've got Grizzly bears with the same cold weather resistance as Polar bears.

They killed it. :rolleyes:

Imbeciles.

They killed it. :rolleyes:

Imbeciles.
And they called it a 'Polargrizz'.

And they called it a 'Polargrizz'.

Ugh.

And they called it a 'Polargrizz'.

That was the best they could come up with?

That was the best they could come up with?

Hunters aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

Hunters aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.


Thats an unfair and inaccurate generalization.

He did comment, however, on its value as a "trophy". I agree thats sad.

The Inuit have been claiming for some time that this happens. We just hadn't found a specimen we could examine.

I suspect that the hybrid is less successful as a predator in the arctic than a straight polar bear. A polar bear is effectively invisible on the ice floes (even to infrared). This hybrid has dark patches.

Though, it was probably a bit stronger, especially in the jaw.

I generally consider the polar bear to be a more frightening predator than the grizzly.

Does anyone know if such hybrids are fertile, or are they sterile like mules?

Thats an unfair and inaccurate generalization.

http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/music002.gif

Not surprising, polar bears, brown bears and black bears can all produce fertile offspring with each other.

More interesting are the brown bears that are genetically more like polar bears then other brown bears.

"DNA studies indicate that some brown bears are more closely related to polar bears than they are to other brown bears, raising the question whether they are truly separate species. All the Ursinae species (i.e., all bears except the giant panda and the spectacled bear) appear able to crossbreed." -Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursid_hybrid

http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/music002.gif


that is an excellent smiley. should be used more often round here.

Does anyone know if such hybrids are fertile, or are they sterile like mules?
Everyone would know if they read the article.

Everyone would know if they read the article.

But reading makes people think, and it hurts to think. :D

Everyone would know if they read the article.

Sorry, the article was not opening on my computer. I had heard a radio report on this from an on-line radio which did not give that information.

As the offspring are apparently fertile doesn't that mean that the Polar and Grizzly are just different breeds of the same species?

you loser, why didn't you give the credit to that guy you heard on Coast-to-Coast AM? :P And Fass, your posts make me think of a pompous northeast liberal who's never met any of the unwashed masses before. Don't do that because I will eat my toast.

Ah, yes... I remember reading about this a while ago... The CBC reported that they called it a Grizzlar.

Apparently there population of them is rising as we ruin the environment and force the grizzlies North. When a bear has an urge to mate he has very little control, the deed must be done. If there are no gals of the same species around, bears will take the next best option. The really interesting thing is that since grizzlies and polar bears are so closely related anyway, the hybrid offspring may well be capable of having thier own kids (Unlike mules). Sadly, it also means that the Polar Bear population may be assimilated, on a genetic level, into the grizzly population.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/wildlife/

This is an interesting one. Seems nature has a way of ensuring survival of a species. Although this has been done in captivity as the article has stated. This is the first one out in nature. I wonder what other crossbreeding of animals we will see out there.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/05/11/canada.hybrid.ap/index.html
I've seen some folks whose lineage apparently included pigs! :D