Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Flavio Augusto da Silva Coelho, Stephanie Gill, Crystal M. Tomlin, Marilena Papavassiliou, Sean D. Farley, Joseph A. Cook, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, George K. Sage, Timothy H. Heaton, Sandra L. Talbot, Charlotte Lindqvist
Summary: During the Late Pleistocene, there were ice sheets covering parts of North America. However, it is unclear whether ice-free refugia existed in the Alexander Archipelago along the SE Alaska coast during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Genetic analyses of black and brown bears in SE Alaska show that there were two subclades of black bears, one preglacial and one postglacial, that diverged over 100,000 years ago. Ancient brown bears are closely related to modern brown bears in the archipelago, suggesting colonization after the LGM. These findings suggest that there were no refugia in SE Alaska during the LGM, but vegetation quickly expanded after deglaciation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Boris Fuchs, Alexandra Thiel, Andreas Zedrosser, Ludovick Brown, Helle B. Hydeskov, Ilia Rodushkin, Alina L. Evans, Amanda H. Boesen, Anne Randi Graesli, Jonas Kindberg, Jon M. Arnemo
Summary: Exposure to lead remains a problem for wildlife species despite the overall reduction of Pb entering the environment, with Scandinavian brown bears showing high blood Pb concentrations that may have adverse effects on both individual and population levels. Lactating females have higher Pb blood concentrations compared to younger, non-lactating females.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ludovick Brown, Boris Fuchs, Jon M. Arnemo, Jonas Kindberg, Ilia Rodushkin, Andreas Zedrosser, Fanie Pelletier
Summary: Brown bears in Sweden have higher blood lead levels compared to other populations, and this study found that the consumption of slaughter remains discarded by moose hunters is a likely significant pathway of lead exposure in female brown bears.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Michito Shimozuru, Mina Jimbo, Keisuke Adachi, Kei Kawamura, Yuri Shirane, Yoshihiro Umemura, Tsuyoshi Ishinazaka, Masanao Nakanishi, Mayu Kiyonari, Masami Yamanaka, Yukihiro Amagai, Ayaho Ijuin, Tomoki Sakiyama, Shinsuke Kasai, Takane Nose, Masataka Shirayanagi, Hifumi Tsuruga, Tsutomu Mano, Toshio Tsubota, Keita Fukasawa, Hiroyuki Uno
Summary: Robust estimates of population parameters were obtained for a high-density brown bear population on the Shiretoko Peninsula, Japan, using DNA-based pedigree reconstruction. The study provided insights into the breeding and adult population sizes, as well as the minimum population size, by genotyping a large number of individuals and determining parentage.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matteo Pedrelli, Paolo Parini, Jonas Kindberg, Jon M. Arnemo, Ingemar Bjorkhem, Ulrika Aasa, Maria Westerstahl, Anna Walentinsson, Chiara Pavanello, Marta Turri, Laura Calabresi, Katariina Oorni, German Camejo, Ole Frobert, Eva Hurt-Camejo
Summary: Plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels in hibernating brown bears are double those of healthy humans, yet bears do not show signs of early atherosclerosis. Analysis revealed higher levels of certain lipids in bear VLDL and LDL during winter, along with differences in lipid composition. Additionally, bear plasma demonstrated higher cholesterol efflux capacity and lower LDL binding to arterial proteoglycans compared to humans.
JOURNAL OF LIPID RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Vesna Orazem, Tadeja Smolej, Iztok Tomazic
Summary: This study examined the attitudes and knowledge of brown bears among secondary school students and found that factors like gender and encountering bears in nature significantly influenced their attitudes and knowledge. Other factors such as residence, owning a dog, having a hunter in the family, breeding livestock, and visiting a zoo had a smaller effect. The results indicated that greater knowledge was correlated with proconservation attitudes and reduced fear among the students.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
S. P. Finnegan, N. J. Svoboda, S. L. Schooler, J. L. Belant
Summary: Climate change is affecting the timing and availability of key food resources, leading to potential trophic mismatch in predator-prey interactions. A study conducted on brown bears in the Kodiak Archipelago found no decrease in salmon consumption despite variations in terrestrial and marine food overlap. However, future declines in salmon abundance due to climate change could negatively impact brown bear populations.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Neda Bogdanovic, Anne G. Hertel, Andreas Zedrosser, Milan Paunovic, Milan Plecas, Disko Cirovic
Summary: The study evaluated how seasonality and reproductive class affected diel movement patterns of brown bears in Serbia and found that different reproductive classes showed variations in movement distances and probability. Adult males, solitary females, and subadult males exhibited a crepuscular movement pattern, while females with offspring showed differences in movement between mating and hyperphagia seasons.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lucie Lemiere, Alexandra Thiel, Boris Fuchs, Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont, Anne G. Hertel, Andrea Friebe, Jonas Kindberg, Ole-Gunnar Stoen, Jon M. Arnemo, Alina L. Evans
Summary: Climate change can affect the timing of gestation in ursids, and this study aimed to understand the factors that influence the termination of embryonic diapause and parturition in brown bears. The study found that the termination of embryonic diapause was later in the northern area compared to the southern area and occurred earlier with higher ambient temperatures. The availability of bilberry also affected parturition timing and reproductive success, particularly in young adults.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alexander Kopatz, Oddmund Kleven, Ilpo Kojola, Jouni Aspi, Anita J. Norman, Goran Spong, Niclas Gyllenstrand, Love Dalen, Ida Floystad, Snorre B. Hagen, Jonas Kindberg, Oystein Flagstad
Summary: The study on the genetic connectivity between brown bear populations in Scandinavia and Karelia revealed asymmetric gene flow between the two populations, possibly influenced by different recovery histories and population densities. By coordinating monitoring efforts between neighboring countries, a better understanding of biological processes across relevant spatial scales was achieved.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Astrid Olejarz, Jouni Aspi, Ilpo Kojola, Vesa Nivala, Alina K. Niskanen, Jenni Harmoinen
Summary: This study combined genetic and spatial data on brown bears to examine the relationship between kinship and home range overlap. The results showed a positive correlation between relatedness and home range overlap among female brown bears. The study also found significant differences between central and eastern Finland in terms of relatedness and home range sizes. The findings highlight the importance of considering social structures in species management.
Article
Physiology
Alexandra Thiel, Sylvain Giroud, Anne G. Hertel, Andrea Friebe, Olivier Devineau, Boris Fuchs, Stephane Blanc, Ole-Gunnar Stoen, Timothy G. Laske, Jon M. Arnemo, Alina L. Evans
Summary: This study investigates the changes in biological rhythms of free-ranging brown bears over an annual cycle, focusing on the differences during hibernation compared to the active state. The results show that brown bears adjust their biological rhythms to the seasonal environment they inhabit.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Elias Papadopoulos, Anastasia Komnenou, Alexandros A. Karamanlidis, Marcos Antonio Bezerra-Santos, Domenico Otranto
Summary: Thelazia callipaeda, a zoonotic eyeworm transmitted by lachryphagus drosophilids, has spread in both Europe and the United States in recent years. This study reports brown bears as hosts of T. callipaeda for the first time, indicating a potential role in the maintenance of the parasite’s life cycle.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Yuri Shirane, Mina Jimbo, Masami Yamanaka, Masanao Nakanishi, Fumihiko Mori, Tsuyoshi Ishinazaka, Mariko Sashika, Toshio Tsubota, Michito Shimozuru
Summary: The body condition of female brown bears on the Shiretoko Peninsula fluctuates seasonally in relation to their diet, with salmon and pine nuts playing a crucial role in energy intake. The body condition improves with increased salmon consumption, and females with offspring tend to have poorer body condition, especially in years with low salmon consumption.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sylvain Giroud, Isabelle Chery, Mathilde Arrive, Michel Prost, Julie Zumsteg, Dimitri Heintz, Alina L. Evans, Guillemette Gauquelin-Koch, Jon M. Arnemo, Jon E. Swenson, Etienne Lefai, Fabrice Bertile, Chantal Simon, Stephane Blanc
Summary: Research shows that hibernating brown bears are able to avoid atherogenic hyperlipidemia during hibernation through mechanisms such as regulating lipoprotein and cholesterol metabolism, increasing antioxidant capacities, and lowering inflammatory markers levels. This allows the bears to manage large lipid fluxes without developing adverse atherogenic effects seen in non-hibernating animals and humans.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)