EXTREME GENOMIC EROSION AFTER RECURRENT DEMOGRAPHIC BOTTLENECKS IN THE HIGHLY ENDANGERED IBERIAN LYNX. Iberian Lynx

Genomics studies of endangered species hold the promise of boosting our understanding of the genetic factors that hamper species persistence and of contributing to their conservation. However, whole genome analyses of well-characterized endangered species remain rare. Here we report the first annotated draft of the highly endangered Iberian lynx and the genome-based analyses of lynx demography, evolution and population genetics. The history of the Iberian lynx is marked by a relatively recent divergence from the Iberian lynx followed by long subsequent period of gene flow and a series of drastic population bottlenecks. Our analyses revealed multiple signatures of genetic erosion, including the lowest genome-wide genetic diversity reported so far in any organism and a high frequency of potentially deleterious mutations. The knowledge and resources developed, including a complete set of annotated markers and genomic libraries, can support current conservation and management of this emblematic species.