Genética evolutiva y molecular de la familia Ursidae: una revisión bibliográfica actualizada

Abstract

The taxonomic relationships among the eight extant species of the Ursidae family are not well known; however, molecular genetics markers has consistently shown three major clades: the line that leads to the giant panda, the line that leads to the spectacled bear, and a polytomy lineage that results in six other species (American black bear, Asiatic black bear, polar bear, brown bear, sloth bear and sun bear). The phylogenetic relationship of some of the bear species is not well known and it may change with the development of new molecular markers, then, the controversies that surround the family of bears could be resolved. Also, literature shows variation in the genetic diversity values reported for the ursids due to the degree of fragmentation; however, the variation is also related to the molecular technique used.