Concept
Version 6
Created by Boundless
Climate Change and Biodiversity
Grizzly-polar bear hybrid
Since 2008, grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) have been spotted farther north than their historic range, a possible consequence of climate change. As a result, grizzly bear habitat now overlaps polar bear (Ursus maritimus) habitat. The two kinds of bears, which are capable of mating and producing viable offspring, are considered separate species as historically they lived in different habitats and never met. However, in 2006 a hunter shot a wild grizzly-polar bear hybrid known as a grolar bear, the first wild hybrid ever found.
Source
Boundless vets and curates high-quality, openly licensed content from around the Internet. This particular resource used the following sources:
"OpenStax College, Threats to Biodiversity. October 17, 2013."
http://cnx.org/content/m44896/latest/Figure_B47_03_06.jpg
OpenStax CNX
CC BY 3.0.