Article
Genomes of critically endangered saola are shaped by population structure and purging.
Cell - 12 Jun 2025
Garcia-Erill Genís, Liu Shanlin, Le Minh Duc, Hurley Martha M, Nguyen Hung Dinh, Nguyen Dzung Quoc, Nguyen Dzung Huy, Santander Cindy G, Sánchez Barreiro Fátima, Gomes Martins Nuno Filipe, Hanghøj Kristian, Salleh Faezah Mohd, Ramos-Madrigal Jazmín, Wang Xi, Sinding Mikkel-Holger S, Morales Hernán E, Stæger Frederik Filip, Wilkinson Nicholas, Meng Guanliang, Pečnerová Patrícia, Yang Chentao, Rasmussen Malthe Sebro, Schubert Mikkel, Dunn Robert R, Moltke Ida, Zhang Guojie, Chen Lei, Wang Wen, Cao Trung Tien, Nguyen Ha Manh, Siegismund Hans R, Albrechtsen Anders, Gilbert M Thomas P, Heller Rasmus
Abstract excerpt
The saola is one of the most elusive large mammals, standing at the brink of extinction. We constructed a reference genome and resequenced 26 saola individuals, confirming the saola as a basal member of the Bovini. Despite its small geographic range, we found that the saola is partitioned into two populations with high genetic differentiation (FST = 0.49). We estimate that these populations diverged and started...
Read the complete abstract on PubMedTopics
- Animals
- Endangered Species
- Genome