![Ursidae hybridisation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Ursidae_hybridisation.svg)
An ursid hybrid is an animal with parents from two different
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
or
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of the
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
(''Ursidae''). Species and subspecies of bear known to have produced offspring with another bear species or subspecies include black bears,
grizzly bear
The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.
In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horri ...
s and
polar bear
The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...
s, all of which are members of the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''Ursus''. Bears not included in ''Ursus'', such as the
giant panda
The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes us ...
, are expected to be unable to produce
hybrids with other bears. The giant panda bear belongs to the genus ''Ailuropoda''.
Note all of the confirmed hybrids listed here have been in captivity (except grizzly × polar bear), but suspected hybrids have been found in the wild.
A recent study found genetic evidence of multiple instances and species combinations where genetic material has passed the species boundary in bears (a process called
introgression
Introgression, also known as introgressive hybridization, in genetics is the transfer of genetic material from one species into the gene pool of another by the repeated backcrossing of an interspecific hybrid with one of its parent species. Intr ...
by geneticists). Specifically, species with evidence of past intermingling were (1) brown bear and
American black bear
The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), also called simply a black bear or sometimes a baribal, is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bear ...
, (2) brown bear and polar bear,
(3) American black bear and
Asian black bear
The Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), also known as the Asiatic black bear, moon bear and white-chested bear, is a medium-sized bear species native to Asia that is largely adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. It lives in the Himalayas, sout ...
. Overall, this study shows that evolution in the bear family (''
Ursidae
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nort ...
'') has not been strictly
bifurcating, but instead showed complex evolutionary relationships.
All the ''Ursinae'' species (i.e., all bears except the
giant panda
The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes us ...
and the
spectacled bear) appear able to
crossbreed
A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...
.
Brown × black bear hybrids
![To replace picture in 'Ursid hybrid'](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/To_replace_picture_in_%27Ursid_hybrid%27.jpg)
In 1859, a
black bear
Black bear or Blackbear may refer to:
Animals
* American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species
* Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species
Music
* Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...
and a
European brown bear
The Eurasian brown bear (''Ursus arctos arctos'') is one of the most common subspecies of the brown bear, and is found in much of Eurasia. It is also called the European brown bear, common brown bear, common bear, and colloquially by many ot ...
were bred together in the
London Zoological Gardens
London Zoo, also known as ZSL London Zoo or London Zoological Gardens is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. In 1831 or 1832, ...
, but the three cubs did not reach maturity. In ''
The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication
''The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication'' is a book by Charles Darwin that was first published in January 1868.
A large proportion of the book contains detailed information on the domestication of animals and plants but it al ...
''
Darwin noted:
In the nine-year Report it is stated that the bears had been seen in the Zoological Gardens to couple freely, but previously to 1848 most had rarely conceived. In the Reports published since this date three species have produced young (hybrids in one case), ...
A bear shot in autumn 1986 in
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
was thought by some to be a
grizzly × black bear hybrid, due to its unusually large size and its proportionately larger braincase and skull. DNA testing was unable to determine whether it was a large American black bear or a grizzly bear.
Intercontinental brown bear hybrids
Although Eurasian brown bears and North American Brown bears are isolated, they are listed as a single species, so technically mating between the two sub-species is not hybridization, even though it cannot possibly occur in the wild. However, cross-breeding between the European brown bear and the North American grizzly bear has occurred in
Cologne, Germany
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...
.
Brown × polar bear hybrids
![polarbrown-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Polarbrown-2.jpg)
* Since 1874, at
Halle, a series of successful matings of polar and brown bears were made. Some of the hybrid
offspring
In biology, offspring are the young creation of living organisms, produced either by a single organism or, in the case of sexual reproduction, two organisms. Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way. This ca ...
were exhibited by the
London Zoological Society
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained the London Zoo, and since 1931 Whipsnade Park.
History
On 29 ...
. The Halle hybrid bears proved to be fertile, both with one of the parent species and with one another. Polar × brown bear hybrids are white at birth but later turn blue-brown or yellow-white.
* An adult polar × brown bear hybrid bred in the 19th century is now displayed at the Rothschild Zoological Museum, Tring, England
* Crandall reported the first polar × brown bear crosses as occurring at a small zoo in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in 1876 rather than Halle in 1874. A female European brown bear mated with a male polar bear resulting in twin cubs in 1876. Three further births were recorded. The young were fertile among themselves and when mated back to European brown bears and to polar bears.
*
DNA studies indicate that the
ABC Islands bear
The ABC Islands bear or Sitka brown bear (''Ursus arctos sitkensis'') is a subspecies or population of brown bear that resides in Southeast Alaska and is found on Admiralty Island, Baranof Island, and Chichagof Island in Alaska (colloquially know ...
s have mixed brown and polar bear ancestry.
Kodiak × polar bear hybrids
"Kodiak" or "Kodiak brown" is a term now applied to brown bears found in coastal regions of North America. In the far north these bears feed on salmon and often attain especially large size. "Alaskan brown" is sometimes used for
Alaskan bears, but the main distinction is how far the bear is found from the coast. "Grizzly bear" is the term used for the brown bear of the North American interior.
* In 1936, a male polar bear accidentally got into an enclosure with a female
Kodiak (Alaskan brown) bear at the U.S. National Zoo, resulting in three hybrid offspring. The hybrid offspring were fertile and able to breed successfully with each other, indicating that the two species of bear are closely related. The Kodiak is also considered by many to be a variant or subspecies of the basic Arctic brown bear.
* In 1943, Clara Helgason described a bear shot by hunters during her childhood. This was a large, off-white bear with hair all over his paws. The presence of hair on the bottom of the feet suggests it was not an unusually colored Kodiak brown bear, but a natural hybrid with a polar bear.
* In a 1970
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
article
Elizabeth C. Reed mentions being foster mother to 4 hybrid bear cubs from the National Zoological Park in Washington, where her husband was director.
Grizzly × polar bear hybrids
The grizzly bear is now regarded by most taxonomists as a variety of brown bear, ''Ursus arctos horribilis''. Clinton Hart Merriam, taxonomist of grizzly bears, described an animal killed in 1864 at Rendezvous Lake, Barren Grounds, Canada as "buffy whitish" with a golden brown muzzle. This is considered to be a natural hybrid between a grizzly bear and polar bear. On 16 April 2006, a polar bear of unusual appearance was shot by a sports hunter on Banks Island in the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
. DNA testing released 11 May 2006, proved the kill was a grizzly×polar bear hybrid. This is thought to be the first recorded case of interbreeding in the wild.
The bear was proven to have a polar mother and a grizzly father. The DNA testing also spared the hunter the C$1000 fine for killing a grizzly bear, as well as the risk of being imprisoned for up to a year. The hunter had bought a license to hunt polar bears; he did not have a license to hunt grizzly at that time.
The animal had dark rings around its eyes, similar to a
panda's, but not as wide. It also had remarkably long claws, a slight hump on its back, brown spots in its white coat, and a slightly indented face — the nasal "stop" between the eyes which polar bears lack. The guide leading the hunt, Roger Kuptana of Sachs Harbour in the Northwest Territories, was the first to note the oddities.
Several names were suggested for this specimen. The Idaho hunter who killed it, Jim Martell, suggested "polargrizz". The biologists of the
Canadian Wildlife Service
The Canadian Wildlife Service or CWS (french: Service canadien de la faune), is a Branch of the Department of the Environment (Environment and Climate Change Canada), a department of the Government of Canada. November 1, 2012 marked the 65th ann ...
suggested "grolar" or "pizzly", as well as "nanulak", an elision of the
Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
''nanuk'' (polar bear) and ''aklak'' (grizzly or brown bear). Both "grolar" and "pizzly" were used by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in widely distributed stories. Presently, though the mating seasons overlap, the polar bears' season begins slightly earlier than the grizzly bears'. A blog columnist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer suggested that more hybrids may be seen as
global warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
progresses and alters normal mating periods. The Canadian Wildlife Service noted that grizzly-polar hybrids born of zoo matings have proven fertile.
Grizzly bears have been sighted in what is usually polar bear territory in the Western Arctic near the Beaufort Sea, Banks Island, Victoria Island, and Melville Island. A "light chocolate colored" bear, possibly a hybrid, is reported to have been seen with polar bears near Kugluktuk in western
Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
.
Asian black bear known or suspected hybrids
* In 1975, within
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
's "Las Delicias" Zoo, a female
Asian black bear
The Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), also known as the Asiatic black bear, moon bear and white-chested bear, is a medium-sized bear species native to Asia that is largely adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. It lives in the Himalayas, sout ...
shared its enclosure with a
spectacled bear, and produced several hybrid descendants.
* In 2005, a possible Asiatic black bear × sun bear hybrid cub was captured in the
Mekong River
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annuall ...
watershed of eastern Cambodia. The bear's mane was relatively slight, forming a crest on each side of the neck, as is typical in sun bears and some black bears. The appearance of its face was intermediate between that of a sun bear and a black bear, though its ears and large stout canines closely resembled those of the sun bear. Overall, the hybrid resembled an Asiatic black bear with an unusually glossy fur and an unusual head.
* In 2010, a male hybrid between an Asiatic black bear and a brown bear named Emma was taken from a bile farm and into the
Animals Asia Foundation's China Moon Bear Rescue.
Sloth bear hybrids
* Hybrids between the
sloth bear
The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss ...
(''Melursus ursinus'') and the Asiatic black bear (''Ursus thibetanus'', or ''Selenarctos thibetanus'') are known.
* Hybrids have also been produced between the
sloth bear
The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss ...
(''Melursus ursinus'') and Malayan sun bear (''Helarctos malayanus'') at
Tama Zoo
The is a zoo, owned by the government of Tokyo Metropolis, and located in Hino, Tokyo, Japan. The Tama Zoo was opened on May 5, 1958, originally as a of the Ueno Zoo. The zoo aims to use its large site – 52 ha, compared to the 14.3 ha of the Ue ...
in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
.
References
Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ursid Hybrid
Intergeneric hybrids