A new study suggests polar bears may be genetically adapting to survive a rapidly warming Arctic—in what researchers describe as a “glimmer of hope” for the endangered species. Researchers at the University of East Anglia analyzed blood samples from polar bears in northeast and southeast Greenland and found evidence of genetic changes linked to diet and metabolism, NBC reported. As global temperatures rise, Arctic sea ice is shrinking, leaving bears without the frozen platforms they rely on to hunt seals. The study’s lead author, Alice Godden, told NBC News that prolonged food scarcity appears to be driving biological shifts that allow some bears to better process plant-based and lower-fat diets when prey is unavailable. While the adaptation doesn’t mean polar bears are suddenly thriving, researchers say it suggests the species may have more resilience than previously understood. Godden says the bears were projected to go extinct by the end of the century, but hopes that with these new findings we are able to reduce our carbon emissions to buy the bears enough time to adapt to their changing environment. The findings highlight both the urgency of climate action, and the remarkable lengths wildlife may go to survive it.
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