Data from: Genetic relationships of extant brown bears (Ursus arctos) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus)

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos) are closely
related species for which extensive mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenetic
genetic comparisons have been made. We used previously-published genotype
data for 8 microsatellite DNA loci from 930 brown bears in 19 populations
and 473 polar bears in 16 populations to compare the population genetic
relationships of extant populations of the species. Genetic distances (Nei
standard distance = 1.157), the proportion of private alleles (52% of
alleles are not shared by the species), and Bayesian cluster analysis are
consistent with morphological and life history characteristics that
distinguish polar bears and brown bears as different species with little
or no gene flow among extant populations.