Genetic Analysis of Arctic Polar Bear Populations using Historical Samples

This study analyzed genetic data using DNA isolated from museum specimens of polar bears in the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The unique data obtained in this study made it possible to characterize population structure of polar bears in the past and to lay the foundation for further research. Methods of DNA isolation used in archaeogenetics and paleogenetics were applied for historical materials. These methods provided sufficient quantity and quality of DNA suitable for high-throughput sequencing. The analysis of genetic variants made it possible to reveal population structure of spatial and temporal polar bear populations in the Russian Arctic regions and its changes associated with the active economic activities that unfolded in the first third of the twentieth century.