The polar bear is native to the Arctic Circle.
Compared to its close cousin, the brown bear, the polar bear has many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice, and open water, and for hunting the seals which make up most of its diet.
Polar bears are born on land but spend most of their time in the waters hunting seal. Their scientific name (Ursus maritimus) means "maritime bear", and derives from this fact. Polar bears can hunt their preferred food of seals from the edge of sea ice, often living off fat reserves when no sea ice is present.
Polar bears older than previously thought
Polar bears diverged from their closest relatives about 600,000 years ago, according to a new genetic study published in the April 20 issue of the journal Science.
The findings suggest the cold adapted species is about five times older than previously thought, and may have had more time to adapt to arctic conditions than recently assumed. Previous studies of polar bears focused mainly on mitochondrial or mtDNA, which is passed on from mother to offspring and only comprises a very small portion of the entire genome.
