You’ve likely heard of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis). Have you heard of a grolar bear or a pizzly bear? These might be unfamiliar because they are the offspring of matings between polar bears and grizzlies. A handful of these animals have been born in zoos; three have been documented in nature. Due to their rarity, only a few grolars (grizzly dad and polar bear mom) or pizzlys (polar bear dad and grizzly mom) have been studied in detail. Their fur color, head shape and ear shape (see figures below) are striking intermediates between the phenotypes of their parents.The origin of polar bears was the result of:
a. peripatric speciation.
b. sympatric speciation.
c. allopatric speciation.