Research overview: genomics and high-altitude adaptation of the snow leopard

The snow leopard inhabits the high mountains of Central and South Asia and is the most basal or near-basal member of the genus Panthera in many analyses. This overview surveys genomic studies examining its adaptations to cold, hypoxic, high-altitude environments, including candidate genes involved in oxygen transport, energy metabolism, and respiratory function. It discusses the species' comparatively low genetic diversity, the difficulty of sampling such an elusive cat, and the use of noninvasive genetics from scat to estimate population size and structure. The survey frames snow leopard genomics as both a window into mountain adaptation and a tool for conserving a thinly distributed predator.