Polar bear diet in the face of Arctic climate change.

Commentary on "Dietary ecology of Alaskan polar bears (Ursus maritimus) through time and in response to Arctic climate change" The pole-warming effects of ongoing climate change and the position of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) as top predators of the Arctic ecosystem meet at a precarious nexus, making this large mammal a modern day "canary in the mine". Petherick and colleagues (2021) take a pulse of polar bear diet by examining key signatures in the microscopic attritional patterns on the surface of polar bear dental enamel. Through the novel application of a well-developed tool, they provide a 4th -dimensional perspective on how Arctic climate change has affected polar bear food choices through time.