Research overview: freeway genetic isolation of Santa Monica Mountains pumas

The puma population of the Santa Monica Mountains is hemmed in by freeways and the Pacific Ocean, producing one of the most acute cases of urban carnivore genetic isolation on record. This overview synthesises long-term research documenting low genetic diversity, observed physical abnormalities consistent with inbreeding, high rates of intraspecific killing in a crowded patch, and the rarity of successful freeway crossings. It connects these findings to population-viability modelling that projected elevated extinction risk and to the conservation response centred on wildlife crossings. The synthesis positions this population as a textbook example of how transportation infrastructure can strand a large carnivore within a metropolis.