Résumé In this report, I review recent molecular studies dealing with the origin and evolution
of polar bears (Ursus maritimus), with special emphasis on their relationships with brown …

The Pleistocene was a dynamic period for Holarctic mammal species, complicated by
episodes of glaciation, local extinctions, and intercontinental migration. The genetic …

Polar bears (PBs) are superbly adapted to the extreme Arctic environment and have become
emblematic of the threat to biodiversity from global climate change. Their divergence from …

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is one of the survivors of the Late Quaternary megafauna
extinctions. However, despite being widely distributed across the Holarctic, brown bears …

Recent genomic analyses have provided substantial evidence for past periods of gene flow
from polar bears (Ursus maritimus) into Alaskan brown bears (Ursus arctos), with some …

Recent studies have shown that the polar bear matriline (mitochondrial DNA) evolved from a
brown bear lineage since the late Pleistocene, potentially indicating rapid speciation and …

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) has become a symbol of the threat to biodiversity from
climate change. Understanding polar bear evolutionary history may provide insights into …

The current phylogeographic pattern of European brown bears (Ursus arctos) has commonly
been explained by postglacial recolonization out of geographically distinct refugia in …

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) are sister species possessing
distinct physiological and behavioural adaptations that evolved over the last 500,000 years …

Aim Climatic changes during the Late Pleistocene had major impacts on populations of plant
and animal species. Brown bears and other large mammals are likely to have experienced …