A new study analyzed a small subpopulation of polar bears in southeastern Greenland and found small genetic changes, likely in response to environmental stressors. This DNA blueprint could help scientists save polar bear populations in other parts of the world. According to Gooden, 38.1 percent of a polar bear’s genome is made up of these TEs (compared to a human genome’s 45 percent). While the former is a flat arctic tundra where polar bears rely on the fatty tissue of seals to survive, the latter ecosystem is a forest tundra, representing the transitional zone between coniferous forests and tundra. “However, we cannot be complacent, this offers some hope but does not mean that polar bears are at any less risk of extinction.