Italian bears living near villages have evolved to be smaller and less aggressive, finds study.
"The general implications of our findings are clear," concluded Giorgio Bertorelle, another researcher involved in the study.
"Human-wildlife interactions are often dangerous for the survival of a species, but may also favor the evolution of traits that reduce conflict. This means that even populations that have been heavily and negatively affected by human activities may harbor genetic variants that should not be diluted, for example, by restocking."
https://phys.org/news/2025-12-italian-villages-evolved-smaller-aggressive.html