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.