Bear Hair and Genetic Diversity
Montana State University Stores DNA for Yellowstone Grizzly Study
By David Nolt, 12-17-07
A curious bear investigates the smell of blood near a wire hair snag. Photo courtesy of Mark Haroldson
The Montana State University-based Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team is conducting a crucial study on the genetics and migration patterns of grizzlies in the Northern Rockies. The MSU team collected samples of grizzly hair in the Yellowstone Ecosystem and will soon send the samples to the British Colombia-based Wildlife Genetics International for evaluation.
According to Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team Director Chuck Schwartz, a major goal of the study is to “determine if bears from the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem migrate to the Yellowstone.”
The Department of Interior delisted grizzlies from the Endangered Species Act in March 2007. The controversial move came as Yellowstone’s grizzlies face increasing pressures from dwindling habitat and critical food sources, particularly Whitebark Pine seeds, which are in decline across the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Researchers hope the new study will reveal important information about the genetic diversity and health of grizzlies across the Northern Rockies.
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