Scientists have identified changes in polar bear DNA that could help the species adapt to rising temperatures, offering new insight into how wildlife responds to climate change.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia found that polar bears living in south-east Greenland show distinct genetic activity compared with bears in colder northern regions. The study suggests that warming conditions are triggering increased activity in so-called “jumping genes” – mobile pieces of DNA that can alter how other genes function.
Polar bears are under severe threat from climate breakdown, with scientists predicting that up to two-thirds of the global population could disappear by 2050 as sea ice melts. By analysing blood samples from bears in two Greenland regions and comparing them with local temperature data, the researchers discovered that genes linked to heat stress, metabolism and ageing were behaving differently in the warmer south-east.
Lead researcher Dr Alice Godden said the findings mark the first statistically significant evidence linking rising temperatures to DNA changes in a wild mammal. She explained that the increased activity of jumping genes may represent a rapid survival response to environmental stress caused by melting ice and changing food availability.
Bears in south-east Greenland experience more variable and warmer conditions and rely on a more mixed, plant-based diet than northern bears, which primarily feed on seals. Genetic changes linked to fat metabolism and energy use could help them survive periods of food scarcity.
While the findings offer cautious hope, researchers stressed that genetic adaptation alone will not be enough to save polar bears. They warned that cutting global carbon emissions remains essential to slow warming and prevent further loss of Arctic habitat.
