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Cub adoption by polar bears (Ursus maritimus): determining relatedness with microsatellite markers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2000

N. J. Lunn ,
D. Paetkau ,
W. Calvert ,
S. Atkinson ,
M. Taylor  and
C. Strobeck
N. J. Lunn
Affiliation:
Canadian Wildlife Service, 5320 - 122 Street, Edmonton, AB T6H 3S5, Canada
D. Paetkau
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
W. Calvert
Affiliation:
Canadian Wildlife Service, 5320 - 122 Street, Edmonton, AB T6H 3S5, Canada
S. Atkinson
Affiliation:
Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Government of the Northwest Territories, Bag 1870, Iqaluit, NT X0A 0H0, Canada
M. Taylor
Affiliation:
Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Government of the Northwest Territories, Bag 1870, Iqaluit, NT X0A 0H0, Canada
C. Strobeck
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
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Abstract

Sixteen microsatellite markers were used to determine the genetic relatedness between adult female polar bears and their accompanying cubs for three recent occurrences of natural adoption recorded in the Canadian Arctic. The estimation of the degree of relatedness was powerful and provided a high degree of separation between first order relatives and unrelated individuals with the loci used. The analysis showed that the cubs were unrelated to their adoptive mothers and that the mothers were unrelated to one another. Although the circumstances and mechanisms whereby these adoptive events occurred are unknown, the data do not support kinship theory as an explanation for the exchange of cubs. We suggest that these adoptive events probably represent instances of the misidentification of cubs by adult polar bears.

Keywords

Ursus maritimusnatural adoptiongenetic relatednessmicrosatellite techniques
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Zoology , Volume 251 , Issue 1 , May 2000 , pp. 23 - 30
Copyright
© 2000 The Zoological Society of London

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