Global News - March 2008
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Genetic information hints at way of conserving Spanish brown bears
Tue 18 March 2008 17:00 UK — Europe,Bears
Rare brown bears from the Iberian Peninsula in Spain are not as genetically different from other brown bears in Europe as had been thought, a new study has shown.
Previously, it was believed that the Spanish bear was genetically unique and this had meant that experts were unsure how to conserve the creatures.
As they live only in small groups in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, in-breeding and genetic depletion are a serious problem for the animals. However, scientists had been loath to relocate the bears to new habitats for fear of causing the extinction of a unique genetic line.
Now, researchers have analysed the genetic sequence of bears from prehistoric material and found that the bears have only been isolated in Spain a few thousand years.
The study's director, Anders Gotherstam, explained that this was "a very short period in an evolutionary perspective".
He added: "In other words, there has been a flow of genes to and from the Iberian Peninsula throughout most of the time brown bears have been there.
"This is extremely interesting data when we discuss transporting bears from other areas to Spain for the purpose of preservation."
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