Extreme in Every Way: Exceedingly Low Genetic Diversity in Snow Leopards Due to Persistently Small Population Size
K. A. Solari, S. A. Morgan, A. D. Poyarkov, B. Weckworth, G. Samelius, K. Sharma, S. Ostrowski, U. Ramakrishnan, Z. Kubanychbekov, S. Kachel, O. Johansson, P. Lkhagvajav, H. Hemmingmoore, D. Aleksandrov, M. Bayaraa, , D. Petrov
This study uses whole-genome sequencing of 41 snow leopards to show they have the lowest genetic diversity of any big cat species due to long-term small population size, not recent inbreeding.
bioRxiv · Dec 14, 2023 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology