Complete mitochondrial genome of a Pleistocene jawbone unveils the origin of polar bear.

ABSTRACT: The polar bear has become the flagship species in the climate-change discussion. However, little is known about how past climate impacted its evolution and persistence, given an extremely poor fossil record. Although it is undisputed from analyses of mitochondrial (mt) DNA that polar bears constitute a lineage within the genetic diversity of brown bears, timing estimates of their divergence have differed considerably. Using next-generation sequencing technology, we have generated a complete, high-quality mt genome from a stratigraphically validated 130,000- to 110,000-year-old polar bear jawbone. In addition, six mt genomes were generated of extant polar bears from Alaska and brown bears from the Admiralty and Baranof islands of the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska and Kodiak I

SUBMITTER: Lindqvist C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2841953 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature