The cave bear's hibernation: reconstructing the physiology and behaviour of an extinct animal

When studying an extinct species such as the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus ROSENMÜLLER 1794), it is possible to apply a variety of molecular biology techniques such as the study of stable isotopes or mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) to infer patterns of behaviour or physiology that would otherwise remain concea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Historical biology 2019-04, Vol.31 (4), p.429-441
Main Authors: Grandal-d'Anglade, Aurora, Pérez-Rama, Marta, García-Vázquez, Ana, González-Fortes, Gloria María
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ancient DNA
Animal behavior
Bears
Biological evolution
Caves
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Endangered & extinct species
Extinct species
Extinction
Gene sequencing
Haplotypes
Hibernation
Homing
Homing behavior
homing behaviour
Isotopes
metabolism
Mitochondrial DNA
Molecular biology
Nucleotide sequence
Ontogeny
Physiology
Pleistocene
Stable isotopes
Ursus spelaeus
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Summary:When studying an extinct species such as the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus ROSENMÜLLER 1794), it is possible to apply a variety of molecular biology techniques such as the study of stable isotopes or mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) to infer patterns of behaviour or physiology that would otherwise remain concealed. Throughout Europe and along time, differences in the isotopic values (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) of cave bears arise from environmental differences and the Pleistocene climatic evolution. The climate determines the hibernation length, during which the cave bears undergo a particular physiology that can be related to an increase in δ 15 N during climate cooling. In order to verify whether hibernation affected the isotopic values, we compared cave bears in different ontogenetic stages. The results show that perinatal values reflect the values for mothers during hibernation, while juveniles show differences in maternal investment. A previous study in the literature based on complete mitochondrial DNA sequences of several individuals collected from closely situated caves showed that each cave housed, almost exclusively, a single lineage of haplotypes. This pattern suggests extreme fidelity to the birth site, or homing behaviour, and that cave bears formed stable maternal social groups, at least for the purpose of hibernation. Studies of this type offer unexpected data on the palaeobiology of this extinct animal.
ISSN:0891-2963
1029-2381
DOI:10.1080/08912963.2018.1468441