SNP-based methods reveal the extent of wildcat-domestic cat hybridization in Scotland

This study applied genome-wide SNP markers to quantify how thoroughly Scottish wildcats have hybridized with domestic cats, a central question for the survival of the population. The authors developed a panel that distinguishes wildcat from domestic ancestry and found pervasive introgression, with few if any genetically pure wildcats remaining in the wild. The work distinguished the victim of hybridization, the native wildcat, from the threat, the domestic cat, and provided a rigorous genetic baseline for conservation. For taxonomy, it underscored how introgression can erode the genetic distinctiveness that defines a subspecies, blurring the line between wildcat and domestic cat. The study informed captive breeding and conservation-translocation strategies and exemplifies modern genomic approaches to diagnosing felid hybridization and defining what remains of a threatened lineage.