Genomic evidence for low genetic diversity but purging of strong deleterious variants in snow leopards.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Long-term persistence of species with low genetic diversity is the focus of widespread attention in conservation biology. The snow leopard, Panthera uncia, is a big cat from high-alpine regions of Asia. However, its subspecies taxonomy, evolutionary history, evolutionary potential, and survival strategy remain unclear, which greatly hampers their conservation.

Results

We sequence a high-quality chromosome-level genome of the snow leopard and the genomes of 52 wild snow leopards. Population genomics reveal the existence of two large genetic lineages in global snow leopards, the northern and southern lineages, supported by the biogeography. The Last Glacial Maximum drove the divergence of two lineages. Microclimate differences and large rivers between the western an

SUBMITTER: Yang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11998254 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature