Research overview: genomic erosion in threatened cats

Genomic erosion refers to the cumulative loss of genetic diversity and accumulation of harmful variation that accompanies population decline, and cats provide some of its clearest examples. This overview surveys how whole-genome studies quantify erosion in species such as the cheetah, Iberian lynx, Florida panther, and Amur leopard through reduced heterozygosity, extended homozygosity, and increased genetic load. It discusses the debate over how much erosion threatens viability versus how much purging mitigates it, the use of historical and museum genomes to measure erosion over time, and how the concept frames the long-term genetic stakes of conservation for the world's most threatened felids.