Research overview: jaguar genetic structure and fragmentation across the Americas

Jaguar populations historically formed a largely connected continental network, but deforestation and barriers are increasingly structuring their genetics. This overview surveys what molecular studies reveal about jaguar gene flow, regional differentiation, and the early signatures of isolation in fragmented landscapes such as the Atlantic Forest and parts of Mesoamerica. It reviews how landscape genetics validates or refines corridor maps and identifies populations most at risk of inbreeding. The synthesis frames genetic connectivity as the long-term currency of jaguar conservation, explaining why maintaining gene flow across the range is treated as essential resilience against both fragmentation and the habitat shifts that climate change will impose over coming decades.