Consanguineous crossings cheetahs threaten extinction

Genetic uniformity leads animals to get sick, according to Russian researchers

Scientists from Saint Petersburg State University published a study claiming that the main cause of the decrease in population of cheetahs is consanguineous mating.

Only remaining species of the genus Acinonyx, the cheetah has the savanna habitat and live in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and southwest Asia.

Now the genetic similarity of inbreeding are leaving the animals susceptible to viruses and disturbing in its reproduction.

Russian researchers studied the genome of the African cheetah, which is under threat of extinction, analyzing genomes cheetah 7: 4 genomes of Namibia and Tanzania 3.

With the decoded genomes, cheetahs had for the first time in history, your complete sequencing.

With this, it was found that the loss of genetic diversity in cheetahs was 90% to 99% compared to other cats.

Decline

Two sharp falls occurred in the genetic diversity of cheetahs. The first was about 100,000 years, during migration of animals from North America to Asia and later to South Africa.

The second time happened between 10 and 15 thousand years ago, when the number of cheetahs returned to abruptly decrease and procreation came to be held by inbreeding.

The study also explains why transplantation of skin from a guepardo to another are not rejected.

After studying genes that account for the predator's immune system, the experts found that

Moreover, researchers found that cheetahs have only minor differences in genes that are responsible for the immune system - while the human has hundreds.

For some of these genes are broken, cheetahs can easily receive grafts from other individuals. But often they can die as a result of viruses that pose no mortal danger to other members of the cat family.


"With the results we obtained, organizations dedicated to the preservation of cheetahs population may determine whether it is necessary or not to transfer the animals to a way more favorable environment from the genetic point of view, so that they generate a healthy offspring and fertile ".