Genetic basis for species vulnerability in the cheetah

This landmark study documented extreme genetic uniformity in cheetahs, with the species showing almost no variation at many loci and accepting reciprocal skin grafts as if genetically identical. The authors argued that a historic population bottleneck left cheetahs depleted of genetic diversity, including at immune-related loci, potentially compromising disease resistance. The paper became a touchstone for conservation genetics and for understanding why monomorphic populations may be uniquely vulnerable to infectious disease, since pathogens can exploit the lack of immunogenetic variation. It framed later observations of severe coronavirus and other disease outbreaks in captive cheetahs and helped establish the link between genetic depletion and epidemic susceptibility, a recurring theme in felid disease epidemiology and the conservation of small, inbred cat populations.