Scientists were able to map the genomes of big cats such as the lion, tiger, and snow leopards in order to conserve species and protect them from being endangered.
The study provides insight as to the evolution of big cats to being categorized as predator species characterized with their muscular strength and carnivore appetite.The researchers found that the tiger has about 96 percent similar genes with the domestic cat. Prior to this study, only the pet cat's DNA has been mapped.
Yun sung Cho of the Personal Genomics Institute in South Korea, had arranged the genes of a nine-year old Siberian tiger named Taegeuk in a sequence.
The team further sequenced the genomes of different cats like the African lion, the white Bengal tiger, the snow leopard, and the white African lion. From the comparison of the genes, they were able to match different species within the cat classification.
One of the lead scientists, Jong Bhak said that the genome map of the tiger is a significant reference for genetic diversities. He further said that knowing this will allow them to set plans how to breed tigers to conserve this DNA diversity.
"Tigers are just a big domestic cat," Bhak told BBC. "They're probably much closer than we thought."
Conservation Genetics WWF Chairman Carlos Driscoll of the Wildlife Institute of India believes that this is a major turning point in species conservation. This will be fresh standards at conservation of species using genomics.
"This brings the age of genomics to the conservation of these species, which are an umbrella for the conservation of many other animals and habitats," Driscoll said to BBC.
The study was published online in Nature Communications and was led by South Korean scientists, together with fellow scientists from 10 other countries including Russia, China, Namibia, the US, South Africa, Denmark, the Netherlands, India, Mongolia, and Saudi Arabia.
