Overview
- Published in the journal Mobile DNA, the peer‑reviewed study reports a statistically significant association between regional warming and altered gene activity in southeastern Greenland polar bears.
- Bears in the warmer southeast showed higher expression of transposable elements near protein‑coding regions and changes in pathways tied to heat stress, ageing and metabolism, with signals also consistent with shifts toward lower‑fat, land‑based foods.
- The team analyzed RNA from blood samples of 17 adult bears—12 from colder northeast Greenland and five from the warmer southeast—using previously collected datasets.
- Researchers emphasize the findings reflect somatic gene activity rather than heritable DNA changes, noting the small sample and calling for broader surveys, long‑read and germline sequencing, and repeat sampling to test causation.
- Southeastern Greenland is described as a real‑world preview of mid‑century Arctic conditions, and despite these molecular responses, projections still warn roughly two‑thirds of polar bears could disappear by 2050, prompting calls for emissions cuts and targeted genomic monitoring across about 20 sub‑populations.