What makes Polar bears prefer the cold as opposed to other bears?
In: Biology
They slowly evolved to hunt and live in colder and colder conditions.
You look back at a time before polar bears. You have the vast Arctic with a whole bunch of uneaten seals. Just below the Arctic, you have some populations of grizzlies that are starving due to competition for moose meat.
Over time, the grizzlies with slightly longer fur can survive further north and access the seal reserves. The grizzlies that can’t go further north have to compete with grizzlies from below the Arctic.
Over time, some grizzlies begin to live primarily in the Arctic. They develop white fur, longer necks, more insulation and such. Boom, now you have polar bears.
Now, polar bears are suited to live in the Arctic, and are uncomfortably hot anywhere else.
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