Grizzly Genes Don't Wear Out

A new study says grizzly bears in the Yellowstone National Park region are thriving and have the potential to continue to thrive in the long term.

The study by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team was published recently in Molecular Ecology.

It looked at 729 bears and found that estimates of the number of bears passing genes to the next generation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has quadrupled since the 1980s. Researchers also found that genetic diversity in the population was stable.

The genetic variations are important for continued survival of the bears and their ability to adapt to environmental changes.

Geneticist Pauline Kamath says that the results are good for the grizzly bears and highlight their restoration as a "conservation success."

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