Heterochronous mitogenomes shed light on the Holocene history of the Scandinavian brown bear.

ABSTRACT: Following glacial retreat after the last ice age, brown bears (Ursus arctos) recolonised Scandinavia. Previous research based on mitochondrial markers suggests that bears recolonised from both the north and the south, with a contact zone in central Scandinavia. More recently, the Scandinavian brown bear was subjected to a strong population decline with only ca. 130 remaining individuals, due to intense human persecution approximately 100 years ago. Here, we analyse 41 ancient, historical, and modern mitochondrial genomes, to examine the number of female lineages involved in the postglacial recolonisation event and temporal changes in the Scandinavian brown bears' mitochondrial genetic diversity. Our results support the bi-directional recolonisation hypothesis, indicating multiple mitochond

SUBMITTER: Feinauer IS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11496541 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature