Scientists found the DNA in what is believed to be the only polar bear specie remains in Britain, according to BBC. The skull is the only part that remains, and it was found at Inchnadamph in the Scottish Highlands in 1927. However, scientists are now asking if they can run tests.
If the experts at Trinity College in Dublin are granted permission by the National Museum of Dublin, then the results can show what the polar bear ate and how it arrived in that area. Dr. Ceiridwen Edwards at Trinity believes that the bear preyed on deer rather than seals.
Research will include drilling a hole in the bear’s skull and taking DNA from the powered residue. Since the skull is from the peak of the Ice Age, that rules out it being a brown bear or a cave bear. The skull is thought to have been washed into the Bones Caves at Inchnadamph because the scientists have found many other animal bones there. Four bones belonging to people were found there to be between 4,515 and 4,720 years old, which is incredible!
After the scientists record their research, what will that mean? Will it provide any information relating to the world’s current polar bears? Will anything help with polar bears surviving global warming? To both of these questions, I believe that the answer is “yes”. Though even if there’s nothing to benefit the polar bears, I still believe that something big will come from this new research. The more that we know about the past will be the more we can link to the future. -Asia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7279462.stm http://www.newspedia.eu/news/17758/New+tests+on+rare+polar+bear+find
March 14, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Very cool! I think it’s sad/facinating that this polar bear skull was found. Yes, we lost one more species, but we have also obtained more information about the past. Interesting artice :]
March 14, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I definitely think that this research will benefit everyone involved in this affair—especially the rare polar bear. There’s not much that I can say other than that, partly because you seem to have expressed many of the thoughts that I wanted to express.
Great job!
March 15, 2008 at 6:22 pm
I hadn’t heard about this until I read your article, but I think that that brings up a very interesting point. Well, two actually. First, if there could have been global warming in the past, and second, if the polar bear was able to survive it. I guess we will never actually know everything that has happened in the past, but hopefully by this and other such discoveries we can come very, very close.
March 17, 2008 at 1:08 am
this reminds me of LOST because they had polar bears on the island n it was really weird.
but anyways, i think that this is a fastinating article because i really wanna know how the polar bear got in England.
i would guess that it came from the Romans when they would bring exotic beasts from all over the world to fight in gladiator matches. but then you have to wonder is the Romans wouldve ventured to the cold icey lands of Antartica.
very neat article
March 17, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Hmmmm….maybe with the DNA we can train an army of superbears and take over the world! MWAHHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously though, i find that very interesting.