Research overview: the Iberian lynx genome and conservation genomics

The Iberian lynx genome, among the first sequenced for an endangered cat, revealed the genomic consequences of its extreme population decline. This overview surveys how genomic studies documented exceptionally low diversity, high inbreeding, and a long history of small population size in the Iberian lynx, reflecting its status as one of the most genetically depauperate cats. It discusses how this information guided conservation, including managing captive breeding to retain remaining diversity and informing decisions about mixing populations. The piece connects genomics to taxonomy by confirming the Iberian lynx's deep distinctiveness from the Eurasian lynx and its long independent history. It exemplifies how whole-genome data serve both systematics and applied conservation, providing the genetic foundation for recovering a critically endangered, evolutionarily distinct felid species.