Because bear ranges are now dictated by roads and human food sources, they are susceptible to being fragmented into isolated islands of habitat, which can have dramatic consequences for their gene pools. A handful of New Hampshire bears were recently diagnosed with gangliosidosis, a genetic disease that affects brain development; in humans its symptoms include exaggerated startle reflexes and dementia. Researchers say that the number of New England bears with the disease indicates that they may be experiencing the “founder effect,” which happens when a population of animals has been
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