Research overview: detecting natural selection in felid genomes

Comparative and population genomics allow researchers to find genes shaped by natural selection in cats, revealing the molecular basis of their predatory adaptations. This overview surveys the methods used to detect selection, from comparing substitution rates across species to scanning populations for selective sweeps, and the traits they implicate, including muscle performance, sensory acuity, metabolism, and high-altitude tolerance in snow leopards. It discusses candidate genes underlying hypercarnivory shared across the family, lineage-specific adaptations such as those of the cheetah for speed, and how distinguishing genuine selection from demographic effects remains a central challenge in interpreting the evolution of feline form and function.