Research overview: genomics and recovery of the Iberian lynx

The Iberian lynx became the world's most endangered cat, falling to fewer than one hundred individuals before an intensive recovery effort. This overview surveys genomic studies revealing that the species has among the lowest genetic diversity recorded in any cat, with extensive runs of homozygosity and a heavy burden of potentially deleterious variants reflecting a long history of small population size. It discusses how conservation breeding, translocation, and genetic management have been guided by these data, the debate over whether to introduce variation from the related Eurasian lynx, and how the Iberian lynx exemplifies both the perils of extreme genetic depletion and the possibility of recovery.