Now, researchers have discovered the bears have another unexpected Arctic adaptation: greasy fur. It’s a trait that, ...

DUBLIN — In the harsh Arctic environment, where polar bears regularly plunge into freezing waters to hunt seals, a remarkable thing happens: unlike your car windshield on a winter morning, their fur ...

Bodil Holst at the University of Bergen in Norway and her colleagues have shown that the ice resistance of polar bear fur is due to natural oils secreted onto the hairs, rather than a property of ...

Senior author Bodil Holst, a physicist at the University of Bergen in Norway, was inspired to investigate polar bear fur after watching a TV quiz program, she tells Michael Le Page at New Scientist.

Polar bear fur possesses anti-icing properties due to its greasy sebum, composed of cholesterol, diacylglycerols, and fatty acids, which prevents ice from adhering.

The results confirmed that greasy, unwashed polar bear hair strongly resists ice. When washed, the fur lost its grease and performed similarly to human hair, to which ice sticks easily. Further ...

Scientists have discovered the anti-icing secret of polar bear fur -- something that allows one of the planet's most iconic animals to survive and thrive in one of its most punishing climates.

An international team of scientists unlocked the anti-icing secret of polar bear fur, a discovery that could revolutionize ice-repellent technologies. The study, published as the cover story in ...

Polar bears have black skin. The polar bear’s fur is also translucent, and only appears white because it reflects visible light - AdobeStock The international study found that a unique mix of lipids ...