Bear Species and Subspecies

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https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-general/rigorous-genetic-analysis-proves-yeti-not-unknown-species-009212 
 
The Evolutionary History of Asian Bears
Tracing the origins of the “Yeti” legend, however, doesn’t seem to be the only focus of Lindqvist's research, as the project has already uncovered a lot of previously unknown details about the evolutionary history of Asian bears. "Bears in this region are either vulnerable or critically endangered from a conservation perspective, but not much is known about their past history. The Himalayan brown bears, for example, are highly endangered. Clarifying population structure and genetic diversity can help in estimating population sizes and crafting management strategies," she says as Phys Org reports .

Her team sequenced the mitochondrial DNA of 23 Asian bears (including the purported Yetis), and compared their DNA to that of other bears worldwide. This investigation showed that while Tibetan brown bears appear to have common ancestry with North American and Eurasian kin, Himalayan brown bears belong to a separate evolutionary ancestry that split early on from all other brown bears.

Ultimately, the researchers suggest that the separation took place almost 650,000 years ago, during a glacial period. The timing implies that expanding glaciers and the region's rocky ground possibly forced Himalayan bears to separate from the rest, leading to a lengthy period of isolation and an individualistic evolutionary passageway. "Further genetic research on these rare and elusive animals may help illuminate the environmental history of the region, as well as bear evolutionary history worldwide—and additional 'Yeti' samples could contribute to this work," Lindqvist says via Phys Org , implying that there’s much more work and investigation to be done by her team in order to give definite answers about “Yeti’s” origins and the bear’s evolutionary history.

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