After thousands of years of being hunted by humans, they have mutated their DNA to become more "chill," accepting peaceful coexistence instead of confrontation.
Normally, when their habitat is encroached upon by humans, the natural reaction of large animals is to retreat into the deep forest. However, in the Apennine Mountains of central Italy, a small bear population has chosen a different path. Instead of fleeing or attacking, they have evolved to become more docile.
The Apennine brown bear ( Ursus arctos marsicanus ) is a unique subspecies, diverging from other European brown bear species approximately 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. This was also the time when human civilization began to expand significantly in the region.
New research published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution indicates that human pressure is the driving force behind this evolution. For centuries, aggressive, bold bears were often the first targets of human extermination to protect crops and livestock. Conversely, calm, conflict-avoiding individuals had a better chance of survival and reproduction.
Over hundreds of generations, this "less aggressive" trait is not just a behavioral pattern but has been encoded into their very genome. Dr. Giorgio Bertorelle, co-author of the study, stated: "Human-wildlife interactions... may support the evolution of conflict-reducing traits." This is rare evidence showing that coexistence with humans can reshape the biological structure of a large predator species.
The result of this evolutionary process is a surprisingly "friendly" bear population. Despite living near populated areas, serious attacks by Apennine bears are extremely rare, a stark contrast to the increasing bear-human conflict in Northern Italy or Greece.
However, this peace comes at a high price. Isolation and a drastic population decline (now down to fewer than 60 individuals) have led to genetic erosion. This bear population is accumulating many harmful mutations and faces a very high risk of extinction.
Conservationists are now facing a dilemma: If they bring bears from elsewhere to improve genetic diversity, they could inadvertently eliminate this valuable "gentle" trait, pushing the Apennine bear back into bloody conflict with humans.
The story of the world's "chillest" bears is a profound reminder of how humans have shaped, are shaping, and will continue to shape the natural world in unexpected ways.