Whole genome sequencing of scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah)

The scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) is a North African antelope that has been extinct in the wild since the early 1980s and is the focus of a large-scale and long-term reintroduction project. To enable the selection of suitable founder individuals, facilitate post-release monitoring and improve ex-situ management we sequenced whole genomes of 49 individuals from across the global captive population to investigate genetic diversity, inbreeding and mutation load.