Hacker News Reader

Comment by blindriver | Hacker News Reader

How would they avoid inbreeding and genetic mutations if only a single bloodline existed there?

I think the grizzlies will take care of that on their own. Either some bears from the island will swim to the mainland, or vice versa.

Note: don't ask for a link on that. I just suspect animals prefer not to mate with their siblings.

The article says "As the first known female grizzly on Vancouver Island, she could be the progenitor of an entirely new, self-sustaining grizzly population—the first in as many as 12,500 years".

They might be waiting for a long time for other bears to come

The authorities could always bring over some other ones, if that's really what they want.

In any case, the drive to mate is pretty powerful. I would think a female in heat would swim back to the mainland if that was the only way to find a male.

From the article:

'On Vancouver Island—about 10 times closer to the mainland—the genetic diversity of any future grizzly population shouldn’t be a problem. As we’ve seen, “there’ll be males coming over to mix up the genes,” McLellan says. And now, perhaps, the odd female too."'

From the article, males swim over fairly frequently, but usually leave again when they find no females. So, there is a regular opportunity to add to the gene pool. What is newsworthy is that there is now at least one female there (sexes of the cubs are unknown). I think it is still a big leap to assume that a sustainable population is inevitable, however, as the occasional visiting male still has to find the female(s) and the resulting population will still be quite inbred.

Inbreeding tends to solve itself in cases of problems. If the offspring aren't viable, they'll die.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com