![]() Indeed, endangered populations typically show patterns of low genetic diversity and high inbreeding that can result in loss of adaptive potential, reduced rates of reproduction and survival, and increased extinction risk. While the primary causes of these declines are usually known and have been the main targets of conservation efforts, genetic changes accumulated during the decline can compromise the recovery of endangered populations and limit their long-term viability. Surviving populations of vertebrate species have decreased in size by an average of 58% from 1970 to 2012 and 15–40% of living species are predicted to go extinct by 2050. Species are becoming extinct at rates unprecedented in recent history as a consequence of human activity. The knowledge and resources developed in this study will boost the research on felid evolution and conservation genomics and will benefit the ongoing conservation and management of this emblematic species. The genomic features observed in the Iberian lynx genome may hamper short- and long-term viability through reduced fitness and adaptive potential. ![]() We also find multiple signatures of genetic erosion in the two remnant Iberian lynx populations, including a high frequency of potentially deleterious variants and substitutions, as well as the lowest genome-wide genetic diversity reported so far in any species. We observe drastically reduced rates of weak-to-strong substitutions associated with GC-biased gene conversion and increased rates of fixation of transposable elements. We identify a series of severe population bottlenecks in the history of the Iberian lynx that predate its known demographic decline during the 20th century and have greatly impacted its genome evolution. We generate the first annotated draft of the Iberian lynx genome and carry out genome-based analyses of lynx demography, evolution, and population genetics. The Iberian lynx ( Lynx pardinus) is the most endangered felid and a unique example of a species on the brink of extinction. Genomic studies of endangered species provide insights into their evolution and demographic history, reveal patterns of genomic erosion that might limit their viability, and offer tools for their effective conservation. Genome Biology volume 17, Article number: 251 ( 2016) Extreme genomic erosion after recurrent demographic bottlenecks in the highly endangered Iberian lynx
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