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Exploring the effects of ice-free season length on polar bear (Ursus maritimus) age acceleration

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average, causing the ice-free season to lengthen, and pushing species to new extremes. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) rely on the presence of sea ice for hunting and turn to fasting during the ice-free season. During longer ice-free seasons, bears must increase their expenditure of stored energy for survival. Lifetime adversity – the cumulative total of the hardships experienced by an individual – has been seen to increase with the warming climate, however, the time periods during which bears are most vulnerable to environmental changes have yet to be explored. The Western Hudson Bay (WHB) polar bear population lives in the south of the species range, near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, and has been sampled for tissues yearly since 1980. This extensive dataset has been used to create an epigenetic clock, a tool based on DNA methylation patterns that can calculate age acceleration. As an influential factor of behaviour and lifespan, age acceleration can provide insights into the overall health condition of individuals and populations. This study explores developmental stages during which WHB polar bears may be more susceptible to longer ice-free seasons. Using simple linear regressions, I found that age acceleration was significantly affected by ice-free season length during fetal development, the year of independence, and male sexual maturation. Maternal effects may be affecting offspring age acceleration, yet further investigation is needed. Improving our understanding of aging in the face of environmental stressors and monitoring age acceleration in wild populations could become crucial aspects of future conservation strategies.
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213826445
FWCI:
Cites: 38
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Related to: 10