Genomic analyses show extremely perilous conservation status of African and Asiatic cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).

ABSTRACT: We live in a world characterized by biodiversity loss and global environmental change. The extinction of large carnivores can have ramifying effects on ecosystems like an uncontrolled increase in wild herbivores, which in turn can have knock-on impacts on vegetation regeneration and communities. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) serve important ecosystem functions as apex predators; yet, they are quickly heading towards an uncertain future. Threatened by habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and illegal trafficking, there are only approximately 7100 individuals remaining in nature. We present the most comprehensive genome-wide analysis of cheetah phylogeography and conservation genomics to date, assembling samples from nearly the entire current and past species' range. We show that their phyloge

SUBMITTER: Prost S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9540975 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature