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Development of on‐shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: inherited or learned?

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing rapid and substantial changes to their environment due to global climate change. Polar bears of the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) have historically spent most of the year on the sea ice. However, recent reports from Alaska indicate that the proportion of t...

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Autores principales: Lillie, Kate M., Gese, Eric M., Atwood, Todd C., Sonsthagen, Sarah A.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: John Wiley and Sons Inc. 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6144971/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30250663
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4233
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author Lillie, Kate M.
Gese, Eric M.
Atwood, Todd C.
Sonsthagen, Sarah A.
author_facet Lillie, Kate M.
Gese, Eric M.
Atwood, Todd C.
Sonsthagen, Sarah A.
author_sort Lillie, Kate M.
collection PubMed
description Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing rapid and substantial changes to their environment due to global climate change. Polar bears of the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) have historically spent most of the year on the sea ice. However, recent reports from Alaska indicate that the proportion of the SB subpopulation observed on‐shore during late summer and early fall has increased. Our objective was to investigate whether this on‐shore behavior has developed through genetic inheritance, asocial learning, or through social learning. From 2010 to 2013, genetic data were collected from SB polar bears in the fall via hair snags and remote biopsy darting on‐shore and in the spring from captures and remote biopsy darting on the sea ice. Bears were categorized as either on‐shore or off‐shore individuals based on their presence on‐shore during the fall. Levels of genetic relatedness, first‐order relatives, mother–offspring pairs, and father–offspring pairs were determined and compared within and between the two categories: on‐shore versus off‐shore. Results suggested transmission of on‐shore behavior through either genetic inheritance or social learning as there was a higher than expected number of first‐order relatives exhibiting on‐shore behavior. Genetic relatedness and parentage data analyses were in concurrence with this finding, but further revealed mother–offspring social learning as the primary mechanism responsible for the development of on‐shore behavior. Recognizing that on‐shore behavior among polar bears was predominantly transmitted via social learning from mothers to their offspring has implications for future management and conservation as sea ice continues to decline.
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spelling pubmed-61449712018-09-24 Development of on‐shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: inherited or learned? Lillie, Kate M. Gese, Eric M. Atwood, Todd C. Sonsthagen, Sarah A. Ecol Evol Original Research Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing rapid and substantial changes to their environment due to global climate change. Polar bears of the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) have historically spent most of the year on the sea ice. However, recent reports from Alaska indicate that the proportion of the SB subpopulation observed on‐shore during late summer and early fall has increased. Our objective was to investigate whether this on‐shore behavior has developed through genetic inheritance, asocial learning, or through social learning. From 2010 to 2013, genetic data were collected from SB polar bears in the fall via hair snags and remote biopsy darting on‐shore and in the spring from captures and remote biopsy darting on the sea ice. Bears were categorized as either on‐shore or off‐shore individuals based on their presence on‐shore during the fall. Levels of genetic relatedness, first‐order relatives, mother–offspring pairs, and father–offspring pairs were determined and compared within and between the two categories: on‐shore versus off‐shore. Results suggested transmission of on‐shore behavior through either genetic inheritance or social learning as there was a higher than expected number of first‐order relatives exhibiting on‐shore behavior. Genetic relatedness and parentage data analyses were in concurrence with this finding, but further revealed mother–offspring social learning as the primary mechanism responsible for the development of on‐shore behavior. Recognizing that on‐shore behavior among polar bears was predominantly transmitted via social learning from mothers to their offspring has implications for future management and conservation as sea ice continues to decline. John Wiley and Sons Inc. 2018-07-13 /pmc/articles/PMC6144971/ /pubmed/30250663 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4233 Text en © 2018 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
spellingShingle Original Research
Lillie, Kate M.
Gese, Eric M.
Atwood, Todd C.
Sonsthagen, Sarah A.
Development of on‐shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: inherited or learned?
title Development of on‐shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: inherited or learned?
title_full Development of on‐shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: inherited or learned?
title_fullStr Development of on‐shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: inherited or learned?
title_full_unstemmed Development of on‐shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: inherited or learned?
title_short Development of on‐shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: inherited or learned?
title_sort development of on‐shore behavior among polar bears (ursus maritimus) in the southern beaufort sea: inherited or learned?
topic Original Research
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6144971/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30250663
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4233
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